Peanut, Milk, and Wheat Intake During Pregnancy Is Associated With Reduced Allergy and Asthma In Children

Abstract

The relationship between maternal diet during pregnancy and childhood allergy and asthma is controversial. We studied 1277 mother-child pairs from an unselected United States pre-birth cohort (Project Viva). Using food frequency questionnaires administered during the first and second trimesters, we assessed maternal intake of common childhood food allergens during pregnancy. In mid-childhood (mean age 7.9 years), we assessed food allergy, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis by questionnaire and serum specific IgE levels. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the associations between maternal diet during pregnancy and childhood allergy and asthma. Food allergy was common (5.6%) in mid-childhood, as was sensitization to at least one food allergen (28.0%). Higher maternal peanut intake (each additional z-score) during the first trimester was associated with 47% reduced odds of peanut allergic reaction in mid-childhood (OR 0.53, 95%CI 0.30-0.94). Higher milk intake during the first trimester was associated with reduced odds of asthma (OR 0.83, 95%CI 0.69-0.99) and allergic rhinitis (OR 0.85, 95%CI 0.74-0.97). Higher maternal wheat intake during the second trimester was associated with reduced odds of atopic dermatitis (OR 0.64, 95%CI 0.46-0.90). Higher maternal intake of peanut, milk, and wheat during early pregnancy was associated with reduced odds of mid-childhood allergy and asthma. The benefits of early introduction of peanut, milk and wheat on reducing childhood allergy and asthma could be entrained even before birth, as early as the first trimester of pregnancy.