Abstract
Evidence for associations between Mediterranean diet (MD) during pregnancy and childhood asthma, allergy and related outcomes is conflicting. Few cohorts have followed children to school age, and none have considered lung function.
In the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, we analysed associations between maternal MD score during pregnancy (estimated by a food frequency questionnaire, using an a priori defined score adapted to pregnant women; score ranging from 0 (low adherence) to 7 (high adherence)) and current doctor-diagnosed asthma, wheeze, eczema, hay fever, atopy, and lung function in 8907 children at 7–9 years. Interaction between maternal MD and maternal smoking in pregnancy was investigated.
The maternal MD score was not associated with asthma or other allergic outcomes. Weak positive associations were found between maternal MD score and childhood maximal mid-expiratory flow (FEF25–75) after controlling for confounders. Higher MD scores were associated with increased FEF25–75 z-scores adjusted for age, height and gender (β: 0.06 (0.01, 0.12), p=0.03, comparing a score of 4–7 versus a score of 0–3). Stratifying associations by maternal smoking during pregnancy showed that associations with FEF25–75 were only seen in children of never/passive smoking mothers, but no evidence for a statistically significant interaction was found.
Results suggest adherence to a MD during pregnancy may be associated with increased small airway function in childhood, but we found no evidence for a reduced risk of asthma or other allergic outcomes.
Footnotes
This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal. It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article.
Conflict of interest: Dr. Bédard has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Kate Northstone
Conflict of interest: Dr. Henderson reports grants from Medical Research Council, grants from Wellcome, during the conduct of the study.
Conflict of interest: Dr. Shaheen has nothing to disclose.
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Footnotes
↵* Joint senior authors
- Received June 20, 2019.
- Accepted November 29, 2019.
- Copyright ©ERS 2019