Allergy/Immunology News

Farm-Living Families Develop Earlier Immune Maturation Against Food Allergies

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Study Finds Old Order Mennonite Mothers Pass More Egg-targeting Antibodies Through Breast Milk

Children who grow up in farming communities have long been known to develop far fewer allergies than their urban peers. A new study from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) offers one possible reason why: their immune systems may mature faster, and breast milk appears to play an important supporting role.

In a longitudinal birth cohort comparing infants from Old Order Mennonite (OOM) farming families in New York’s Finger Lakes region with urban and suburban families in Rochester, researchers found that farm-exposed babies had more “experienced” B cells and higher levels of protective antibodies during the first year of life. The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, was led by Kirsi Järvinen-Seppo, MD, PhD, chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at UR Medicine’s Golisano Children’s Hospital.

Study to Test if Mothers’ Diet Prevents Early Sign of Food Allergy in Babies

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

A National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored clinical trial testing whether maternal consumption of peanuts and eggs during pregnancy and breastfeeding prevents babies from developing an early sign of allergies to these foods began today.

The study, called Expecting Mother's Study of Consumption or Avoidance of Peanut and Egg (ESCAPE), will be led by Kirsi Järvinen-Seppo, M.D., Ph.D., chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology and Founders' Distinguished Professor in Pediatric Allergy. Results are expected in 2029.

Read More: Study to Test if Mothers’ Diet Prevents Early Sign of Food Allergy in Babies

View local news story: Can a mother’s diet during pregnancy prevent food allergies in her baby? UR Medicine aims to find out

Why Are Urban Children More Prone to Allergies?

Monday, May 12, 2025

Scientists discovered that a previously uncharacterized subset of immune cells may play a critical role in the development of allergic diseases and explain differences between urban and rural populations. The finding, published in the journal Allergy, provides new insight into how the immune system is shaped in early life—and why urban children are more prone to allergies than children from rural areas.

When Should I Use My Child’s EpiPen?

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

If your child has allergies, watching them experience an allergic reaction can be frightening. Parents of toddlers, especially, have to think quickly—do I use their EpiPen, give them Benadryl, or call 9-1-1? Emily Weis, M.D., Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Pediatric Allergy/Immunology, explains what signs to look for during an allergic reaction and how to know when to use your child’s EpiPen.

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