Moms-to-be may indulge in a lot of different foods during pregnancy, but one thing they should think about avoiding is peanuts, according to a new study.

According to WebMd, which reported the results of the study, the more peanuts women ate in the third trimester of pregnancy, the likelier their babies were to have sensitivity to peanuts. Researcher Scott H. Sicherer, MD, of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City, emphasized that the results measured sensitivity to peanuts, not full-blown allergies.

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“It is going to be a few years,” he told WebMd, “before we know whether these children really do develop true peanut allergies.” Reports of peanut allergies in children have skyrocketed in recent years. In the worst-case scenario, the condition can lead to anaphylactic shock, a potentially fatal incident in which the throat closes up and the victim cannot breathe. Less serious symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and asthma.

Despite the widespread media attention given to pediatric peanut allergies, Sicherer cautioned that there was “simply not enough information” to definitively tell women not to eat peanuts during pregnancy. Follow-up studies should make the issue clearer.

In the meantime, why take even a small risk? Go for the traditional pickle instead. (webmd)

Jane Farrell is a senior editor at BettyConfidential.