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Maternal diet during lactation and allergic sensitization in the offspring at age of 5

Bright I Nwaru1, Maijaliisa Erkkola, Suvi Ahonen

  • 1Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland. bright.nwaru@uta.fi

Pediatric Allergy and Immunology : Official Publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
|January 13, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Maternal diet during lactation impacts child allergy risk. High butter/saturated fat intake increased wheat allergy risk, while margarine intake decreased it. Potato intake was linked to lower birch and cat allergy risks.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Nutritional Science
  • Pediatric Allergy

Background:

  • Type 1 diabetes susceptibility is linked to HLA-DQB1 gene variants.
  • Early life environmental factors, including maternal diet, may influence allergic sensitization.
  • Understanding dietary impacts on allergy development is crucial for prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal dietary intake during lactation and allergic sensitization at age 5.
  • To examine these effects in children with HLA-DQB1-conferred susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.
  • To identify specific maternal dietary components influencing allergy development.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from 652 children in the Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) Nutrition and allergy study.
  • Assessment of maternal dietary intake during lactation and allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels at age 5.
  • Logistic regression analysis was used to model the relationship between diet and sensitization.

Main Results:

  • Maternal intake of butter and saturated fatty acids was associated with increased wheat allergen sensitization risk.
  • Margarine intake was linked to decreased risk for wheat and birch allergen sensitization.
  • Potato intake was associated with decreased risk for birch and cat allergic sensitization, while vitamin C and eggs increased cat allergy risk.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal dietary choices during lactation may influence offspring's allergic sensitization to specific allergens.
  • Certain fats (butter, margarine) and foods (potatoes, milk, eggs) show differential associations with allergy risks.
  • These dietary effects on allergy sensitization may persist independently of parental allergic status.

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