D-ECCO Grant Dietary patterns during early life and risk of inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Abstract Background and Aims Diet plays a key role in modulating the intestinal microbiota, thereby impacting the regulation of intestinal inflammation. The Western diet has been linked to non-communicable diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, and its role in inflammatory disorders is subject to increasing attention. It is of interest to understand, how maternal nutrition directly impacts fetal development and, together with the child’s own nutrition, influences the later susceptibility to immune mediated diseases. This ambitious project will assess how maternal exposures and dietary patterns during pregnancy combined with early life exposures at birth influence the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in offspring. Methods We will use the Danish National Birth Cohort (about 100,000 women and 91,383 children were included in the cohort) in which 72,821 completed the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in early pregnancy and nationwide health data to 1) characterize the dietary patterns of mothers in mid-pregnancy, and 2) use this information to assess the association of maternal dietary pattern with risk of IBD in offspring. Furthermore, we will examine 3) the impact of diets rich in ultra-processed foods, and 4) mothers' fish consumption in mid-pregnancy and the association with risk of IBD in offspring. Anticipated Impact The applicant has assembled a unique team of collaborators, which, together with access to exclusive Danish resources, will guarantee the success of the project, with the primary objective is to understand how diet influences the development and worsening of IBD, improve quality of life, and to pave the way for improved dietary guidance for a growing global group of young people with chronic diseases.