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Published on: August 7, 2017
Mediterranean diet during pregnancy and childhood respiratory and atopic outcomes: birth cohort study
Annabelle Bédard1, Kate Northstone2, A John Henderson2
1Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Insights
Adhering to a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy may improve childhood lung function, specifically small airway function. However, this diet did not reduce the risk of childhood asthma or allergies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Conflicting evidence exists regarding the link between maternal Mediterranean diet adherence during pregnancy and childhood allergic outcomes.
- Few studies have assessed these associations up to school age or included objective lung function measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal adherence to a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy and childhood asthma, allergies, and lung function.
- To explore potential interactions between maternal diet and smoking during pregnancy on these outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 8907 children aged 7-9 years in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.
- Maternal Mediterranean diet score during pregnancy assessed via food frequency questionnaire.
- Outcomes included doctor-diagnosed asthma, wheeze, eczema, hay fever, atopy, and lung function (FEF25-75%).
Main Results:
- No significant associations were found between maternal Mediterranean diet score and childhood asthma or allergic conditions.
- A weak positive association was observed between higher maternal Mediterranean diet scores and improved childhood maximal mid-expiratory flow (FEF25-75%).
- This association with improved lung function was primarily observed in children of non-smoking mothers, though no significant interaction was detected.
Conclusions:
- Maternal adherence to a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy may be linked to enhanced small airway function in children.
- The study found no evidence that the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy reduces the risk of childhood asthma or allergic diseases.
Abstract:
Evidence for associations between Mediterranean diet during pregnancy and childhood asthma, allergy and related outcomes is conflicting. Few cohorts have followed children to school age, and none have considered lung function.In the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, we analysed associations between maternal Mediterranean diet score during pregnancy (estimated by a food frequency questionnaire, using an a priori defined score adapted to pregnant women; score ranging from 0 (low adherence) to 7 (high adherence)) and current doctor-diagnosed asthma, wheeze, eczema, hay fever, atopy and lung function in 8907 children at 7-9 years. Interaction between maternal Mediterranean diet and maternal smoking in pregnancy was investigated.The maternal Mediterranean diet score was not associated with asthma or other allergic outcomes. Weak positive associations were found between maternal Mediterranean diet score and childhood maximal mid-expiratory flow (forced expiratory flow at 25-75% of forced vital capacity (FEF25-75%)) after controlling for confounders. Higher Mediterranean diet scores were associated with increased FEF25-75% z-scores adjusted for age, height and sex (β 0.06, 95% CI 0.01-0.12; p=0.03, comparing a score of 4-7 versus a score of 0-3). Stratifying associations by maternal smoking during pregnancy showed that associations with FEF25-75% were only seen in children of never-/passive-smoking mothers, but no evidence for a statistically significant interaction was found.Results suggest adherence to a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy may be associated with increased small airway function in childhood, but we found no evidence for a reduced risk of asthma or other allergic outcomes.
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