The key to avoiding peanut allergies in kids

TOP OF MIND

Trust your gut?
New research from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai suggests babies who developed peanut allergies later in life had lower gut microbiome diversity during their early years.

The important bits:
For decades now, food allergies have been on the rise, impacting over 32 million Americans, including one out of every 13 children. That comes out to around two students per classroom.

And while your grandpop will blame this on something intangible, like kids today being "soft," the actual answer might be found in your gut.

Researchers at Mount Sinai conducted a study, analyzing fecal samples from babies from infancy to later in childhood. And the researchers were able to find key differences in the gut bacteria and metabolic byproducts in children who did and did not develop a peanut allergy by age nine.

The study showed that babies who eventually developed peanut allergies had lower gut microbiome diversity during their early years. And most importantly, lower classes of bacteria and metabolites directly linked to building histidine, an amino acid precursor for histamine.

This isn't the first study linking gut bacteria to food allergies. Researchers have suspected a link for years now.

What's it all mean?
Well, it's complicated. Some studies have found that an infant's microbiome is most strongly shaped by the mother's microbiome. However, they've also determined exposures within the household matter as well.

Breastfeeding, having pets and siblings in the household, and shifting to a more plant-based diet have all been shown to promote the expansion of helpful gut bacteria.

Want more info on boosting your kids gut health? Check out these 5 tips.

DID YOU HEAR

🎵 I'm sorry I can't be perfect 🎵
Tired of trying to be the perfect parent? You're not alone. These heartfelt stories from Millennial moms show how harmful social media can be as a parent. Essentially, we're all trying to compete with each other on social media, which is not exactly an accurate picture of our real lives.

Unlike a curated Instagram feed, life is messy and unpredictable, but you know what? That’s also what makes it beautiful. You’ve got this.

The plight of the flight
We've all been there, right? You're 33,000 feet in the air, surrounded by rows of grumpy strangers, and your toddler is sitting right next to you having a complete meltdown. And for a moment, you lock eyes with the emergency exit door and think, "Maybe I should just throw myself out."

Don't do it! Instead, listen to this seasoned flight attendant who’s giving all the tips to prevent inflight meltdowns.

Popular mom vlogger arrested for child abuse
Ruby Franke, the mom behind the now-defunct "8 Passengers" YouTube channel, has been arrested and charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse. The abuse was uncovered when one of her kids called police asking for help. When emergency officials arrived, they discovered the child was emaciated and malnourished with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities.

At one point in time, Ruby had over 2.5 million subscribers on YouTube.

Emily, meet Michael!
It's hard to believe, but 1998 was 25 years ago, and The HuffPost decided to look back at the most popular baby names from that special year. The top two for girls? Emily and Hannah. For the boys? Michael and Jacob.

Find out how generic your name is here.

6,240
The number of diapers used in a year by this mother of triplets. Can you guess how many ounces of milk they consumed? Hint: it’s more than you think.

Veggies
The new "medication" doctors are prescribing for your kids.

A DOSE OF GOOD

JUST FOR YOU

Bites: It’s back to school season, which means after school snack season. When your kids come home famished, quick and easy snacks are a necessity. Try filling up with peanut butter oatmeal energy balls, carne asada (or vegan) quesadillas, apple sandwiches, and trail mix -- Happy snacking!

Reads: Writer (and parent) Jennifer Breheny Wallace just released her long-awaited book "Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic-and What We Can Do About It" and it just might change your approach to parenting.

Aesthetics: Say goodbye to cumbersome (and expensive!) workout machines, and say hello to the hula hoop! That's right, the latest workout craze is hula hooping. According to yoga instructor Sara Cole Barnette, hula hooping is a full-body workout that's just as effective as a spin or Zumba class. And she was nice enough to show you seven exercises you can do with the hoop!

HERE’S A QUESTION

Last week we asked how you felt about the growing trend of family vloggers. 66% of you said it "depends on the family... some good, some bad," while 16% said they're exploitative and dangerous.

RECALLS

Boon Flair & Flair Elite Highchairs.

What happened?
Ever thought a highchair could give your little one their first lesson in aviation? Neither did we, but here we are. The Boon Flair & Flair Elite highchairs have an, ahem, "loose" problem. The bolts that are supposed to hold the seat securely to its base are loosening resulting in seats that could detach and lead to your tot topping over. This recall impacts around 83,000 units sold in the U.S., with an additional 2,850 in Canada. So far, the company has received reports of over 24 falls, resulting in 11 minor injuries.

What should you do?
First of all, if you own one of these "elite" chairs, it might be time for a downgrade to something less adventurous. In the meantime, TOMY, the company behind the chair, says you can reach out to them for a repair kit. Instead of issuing a refund, they're giving you a set of bolts and flat washers to fix the chair yourself.

Click here to visit their contact page.

Trader Joe's? More like Trader Oh-Noes!

Trader Joe's just issued their sixth food recall in less than three months. The latest recall? Texas Tamale Company Gourmet Black Bean Tamales. Apparently, they're contaminated with undeclared milk.

Stay tuned for next week to see if TJ's makes this section for a third consecutive week.