Maternal dietary folate, folic acid and vitamin D intakes during pregnancy and lactation and the risk of cows’ milk allergy in the offspring
British Journal of Nutrition, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0007114516002464
Dietary Surveys and Nutritional Epidemiology
Jetta Tuokkola a1a2 jetta.tuokkola@iki.fi, Päivi Luukkainen a1, Minna Kaila a3a4, Hanna-Mari Takkinen a2a5, Sari Niinistöa 2, Riitta Veijola a6, Lauri J. Virta a7, Mikael Knip a1a8a9, Olli Simell a10, Jorma Ilonen a11a12 and Suvi M. Virtanen a2a5a13
a1 Children’s Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, 00029 HUH, Finland
a2 Nutrition Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, 00271 Helsinki, Finland
a3 Public Health Medicine, 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
a4 Department of Pediatrics, Tampere University Hospital, 33521 Tampere, Finland
a5 School of Health Sciences, 33014 University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
a6 Department of Paediatrics, 90014 University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
a7 Research Department, Social Insurance Institution, 20720 Turku, Finland
a8 Research Program Unit, Diabetes and Obesity, 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
a9 Folkhälsan Research Institute, 00251 Helsinki, Finland
a10 Department of Pediatrics, 20014 University of Turku, Turku, Finland
a11 Department of Clinical Microbiology, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
a12 Immunogenetics Laboratory, 20014 University of Turku, Turku, Finland
a13 Science Center of Pirkanmaa Hospital District, 33521 Tampere, Finland
Maternal nutrient intake during pregnancy and lactation potentially influences the development of allergic diseases. Cows’ milk allergy (CMA) is often the first manifestation of atopic diseases, but the impact of early nutritional influences on CMA has not been explored. The associations between maternal intakes of folate, folic acid and vitamin D during pregnancy and lactation were addressed in a prospective, population-based birth cohort within the Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Study. Mothers of 4921 children during pregnancy and 2940 children during lactation provided information on maternal dietary intake during the 8th month of pregnancy and the 3rd month of lactation using a detailed, validated FFQ. Information on diagnosed CMA in the offspring was obtained from a medical registry as well as queried from the parents. The Finnish food composition database was used to calculate nutrient intake. Logistic regression was applied for statistical analyses.
- Folate intake and folic acid and vitamin D supplement use were associated with an increased risk of CMA in the offspring,
- whereas vitamin D intake from foods during pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk of CMA.
Thus, maternal nutrient intake during pregnancy and lactation may affect the development of CMA in offspring. Supplementation with folic acid may not be beneficial in terms of CMA development, especially in children of allergic mothers. The association between dietary supplement use and CMA risk can at least partly be explained by increased health-seeking behaviour among more educated mothers who also use more dietary supplements.
PDF is available free at Sci-Hub 10.1017/S0007114516002464