Maternal Intake of Cow's Milk during Lactation Is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Food Allergy in Offspring.

Mia Stråvik,Malin Barman,Ann-Sofie Sandberg,Anna Sandin,Bill Hesselmar,Agnes E Wold

doi:10.3390/nu12123680

Abstract

Maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation may affect the propensity of the child to develop an allergy. The aim was to assess and compare the dietary intake of pregnant and lactating women, validate it with biomarkers, and to relate these data to physician-diagnosed allergy in the offspring at 12 months of age. Maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation was assessed by repeated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires in a prospective Swedish birth cohort (n = 508). Fatty acid proportions were measured in maternal breast milk and erythrocytes. Allergy was diagnosed at 12 months of age by a pediatrician specialized in allergy. An increased maternal intake of cow’s milk during lactation, confirmed with biomarkers (fatty acids C15:0 and C17:0) in the maternal blood and breast milk, was associated with a lower prevalence of physician-diagnosed food allergy by 12 months of age. Intake of fruit and berries during lactation was associated with a higher prevalence of atopic eczema at 12 months of age. Our results suggest that maternal diet modulates the infant’s immune system, thereby influencing subsequent allergy development.

Highlights

Allergy is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood, affecting up to 30% of children in industrialized countries [1]
Similar to the findings reported for food allergy, strongest associations were found at four months postpartum, where higher maternal intake of fruit and berries and nuts and seeds was associated with higher prevalence of atopic eczema
The association between a protective effect of maternal intake of cow’s milk and offspring food allergy was further strengthened by the findings that intake of cow’s milk and cow’s milk products correlated with the proportions of pentadecanoic acid and heptadecanoic acid in breast milk and that proportions of pentadecanoic acid in breast milk in turn was associated with lower prevalence of offspring food allergy

Summary

Introduction

Allergy is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood, affecting up to 30% of children in industrialized countries [1]. Food allergy and atopic eczema may appear already during the first year of life, while allergic asthma and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis usually appear at school age or later. Atopic eczema is a strong risk factor for sensitization to environmental allergens and subsequent asthma [2]. Sensitization to egg protein during infancy predicts a high risk of subsequent development of allergic asthma [3]. While the etiology of allergies is not yet completely understood, it appears to reflect complex interactions of genetic and various environmental and lifestyle factors.

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