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Published on: August 7, 2017
Dietary Interventions and Nutritional Factors in the Prevention of Pediatric Asthma
Irene Trambusti1, Giulia Nuzzi1, Giorgio Costagliola1
1Section of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Insights
Early life nutrition, including maternal diet and breastfeeding, may help prevent childhood asthma. Research highlights modifiable dietary factors for primary asthma prevention in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Childhood asthma prevalence is rising, necessitating identification of modifiable risk factors.
- Early life (prenatal and postnatal) is a critical window for immune system development, susceptible to nutritional influences.
- Genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors contribute to asthma pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current evidence on prenatal and perinatal nutritional interventions for preventing pediatric asthma.
- To identify key dietary factors and their impact on asthma development.
- To highlight research gaps and future directions in childhood asthma prevention.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of recent scientific literature.
- Analysis of studies focusing on maternal diet, breastfeeding, milk formulas, complementary feeding, and supplementation.
- Synthesis of findings on the role of nutritional interventions in primary asthma prevention.
Main Results:
- Maternal diet during pregnancy, breastfeeding duration, and specific infant feeding practices show potential in asthma prevention.
- Prenatal and early life supplementation with vitamins, probiotics, and prebiotics are explored as preventive strategies.
- Evidence suggests a significant role for modifiable nutritional factors in reducing asthma risk.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal and perinatal nutrition represent promising targets for the primary prevention of pediatric asthma.
- Further research is needed to elucidate optimal nutritional strategies and timing for asthma prevention.
- Modifiable dietary interventions offer a potential public health approach to combatting the rising rates of childhood asthma.
Abstract:
Asthma is the most frequent chronic disease in children, and its pathogenesis involves genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. The rapid rise in the prevalence of asthma registered over the last few decades has stressed the need to identify the environmental and modifiable factors associated with the development of the disease. In particular, there is increasing interest in the role of modifiable nutritional factors specific to both the prenatal and post-natal early life as, during this time, the immune system is particularly vulnerable to exogenous interferences. Several dietary factors, including maternal diet during pregnancy, the duration of breastfeeding, the use of special milk formulas, the timing of the introduction of complementary foods, and prenatal and early life supplementation with vitamins and probiotics/prebiotics, have been addressed as potential targets for the prevention of asthma. In this review, we outline recent findings on the potential role of prenatal and perinatal dietary and nutritional interventions for the primary prevention of pediatric asthma. Moreover, we addressed unmet needs and areas for future research in the prevention of childhood-onset asthma.
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