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Published on: August 7, 2017
Maternal prenatal carotenoids and child lung function: exploration of modifying factors
Xueying Zhang1,2, Terryl J Hartman3, Margaret Adgent4
1Department of Environment Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.
Insights
Prenatal carotenoid intake may protect children's lung function, especially if mothers smoked during pregnancy. Higher carotenoid levels showed a protective association with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1).
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Nutritional Science
- Pediatric Pulmonology
Background:
- Childhood airway outcomes are linked to prenatal nutrition.
- Carotenoids, potent antioxidants, have been understudied for their role in modifying these outcomes.
- Understanding nutrient impacts on fetal development is crucial for long-term health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal carotenoid levels and children's lung function (ages 8-9).
- To assess if maternal and child factors modify these associations.
- To explore the role of specific carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, zeaxanthin).
Main Methods:
- Assayed second-trimester plasma carotenoid concentrations in 677 mother-child dyads.
- Measured child lung function using forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) z-scores.
- Employed multivariable linear regression and examined effect modification by maternal smoking, BMI, asthma, and child sex.
Main Results:
- No significant main effect associations were found between individual carotenoids and lung function.
- Significant interactions were observed between all five carotenoids and FEV1 concerning maternal prenatal smoking (p-interaction < 0.05).
- Higher alpha-carotene was associated with increased FEV1 z-scores in children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal carotenoid exposure demonstrated a protective association with FEV1 in middle childhood, specifically among children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy.
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a critical modifier of the relationship between prenatal carotenoids and child lung function.
- Further research into nutrient-gene-environment interactions is warranted for childhood respiratory health.
Background:
While childhood airway outcomes have been associated with prenatal nutrition, few studies examined carotenoids, a group of nutrients with antioxidant properties, as potential modifiers.
Objectives:
In n=677 mother-child dyads enrolled in the Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood cohort, we examined associations between prenatal carotenoids (α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene and zeaxanthin) and child lung function at ages 8-9 years. Maternal-child factors that may modify associations were also assessed.
Methods:
Second-trimester plasma carotenoid concentrations were assayed and corrected for cholesterol. Outcomes included forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC z-scores. We used multivariable linear regression to investigate associations between individual carotenoids and lung function z-scores adjusting for covariates. We also examined effect modification by maternal smoking, body mass index, asthma, and child sex by including cross-product terms.
Results:
We did not detect statistically significant associations between individual carotenoid concentrations and child lung function in main effect models. Modifying effects of prenatal smoking were observed between all five carotenoids and FEV1 (all pinteraction<0.05). For example, a twofold increase in α-carotene was associated with an increase in FEV1 z-score of 0.45 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.86) among children whose mothers smoked prenatally versus a 0.01 (-0.08 to 0.10) change in children born to women who did not smoke.
Conclusion:
A protective association between higher prenatal carotenoid concentrations and FEV1 in middle childhood was observed among children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy.
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