They are legumes, part of the bean and pea family. So children who are allergic to peanuts have a higher chance of developing an allergy to related legumes such as peas. Your child should be evaluated for this. I believe that the same number of people are born with a tendency to develop a peanut allergy as opposed to 20-30 years ago. But today, we are being exposed to peanuts much more frequently.
People are more health conscious and therefore, are eating more nuts, vegetables and fruits.
We're also cooking with peanut oil. And I do believe that because of the increase of peanuts in a lot of what we're eating, children tend to become more sensitized. A recent study has isolated peanut protein passed through mothers in breast milk. Therefore, the thinking is the younger a child who is prone is allergies is exposed to peanuts, the higher the chance he or she will develop it. From this study, the recommendation is that if there is no family history of peanut allergy, there should be no restriction in mother's diet with regard to peanuts.