Key Findings:
Increasing prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases in Western societies may be due in part to changes in dietary habits. This study found that a low maternal intake of ALA during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of asthma in the offspring. Decreased risk of asthma in the offspring at the age of 5 yr. was found with intake of arachidonic acid. The data was based on a standardized, validated questionnaire designed specifically for epidemiological studies. High maternal ALA, total n3 PUFA and the saturated fatty acid palmitic acid may decrease, while high omega 6 arachidonic acid may increase the risk of asthma in offspring.
ABSTRACT:
Fatty acids (FA) modulate the immune system, and it has been proposed that they affect the incidence of IgE-mediated allergic diseases. We explored the association of maternal dietary FA composition during pregnancy with the risk of asthma in the offspring. We analyzed data from the Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) Nutrition Study. Maternal dietary intake during pregnancy (8th month) was assessed by a validated 181 item food frequency questionnaire. The occurrence of asthma was assessed at the age of 5 yr with a questionnaire modified from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Cox proportional hazards regression was used for the statistical analyses. Low maternal intakes of alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n3) [lowest quarter vs. mid half HR 1.67 (95% CI 1.12 to 2.48)] and total n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) [HR 1.66 (95% CI 1.11 to 2.48)] during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of asthma in the offspring, while a low intake of arachidonic acid (20:4n6) [HR 0.52 (95% CI 0.32 to 0.84)] and high intake of total saturated fatty acids [highest quarter vs. mid-half HR 0.55 (95% CI 0.34–0.90)] and palmitic acid (16:0) [HR 0.51 (95% CI 0.31 to 0.83)] were associated with a decreased risk of asthma. The ratios of n6 to n3 PUFA and 18:2n6 to 18:3n3, and the maternal intake of oils, fish and fish products, showed no association with the risk of asthma. The associations found were independent of several perinatal and clinical confounders. Maternal intake of FA during pregnancy was associated with childhood asthma. Maternal ALA, total n3 PUFA and palmitic acid intake may decrease, while arachidonic acid intake may increase the risk of asthma in the offspring. (Authors abstract)
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