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

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

doi:10.3390/nu12123680

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

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Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Food and Nutrition Science, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden

Institute of Environmental Medicine, Unit of Metals and Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden

Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden

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Department of Clinical Science, Pediatrics, Sunderby Research Unit, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden

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Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Nutrients 2020, 12(12), 3680; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123680

Received: 10 November 2020 / Accepted: 25 November 2020 / Published: 28 November 2020

(This article belongs to the Section Clinical Nutrition)

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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. View Full-Text

Keywords: nutrition; pregnancy; lactation; food intake; food allergy; atopic eczema; asthma; erythrocytes; breast milk; dietary biomarkers

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MDPI and ACS Style

Stråvik, M.; Barman, M.; Hesselmar, B.; Sandin, A.; Wold, A.E.; Sandberg, A.-S. Maternal Intake of Cow’s Milk during Lactation Is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Food Allergy in Offspring. Nutrients 2020, 12, 3680. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123680

AMA Style

Stråvik M, Barman M, Hesselmar B, Sandin A, Wold AE, Sandberg A-S. Maternal Intake of Cow’s Milk during Lactation Is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Food Allergy in Offspring. Nutrients. 2020; 12(12):3680. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123680

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stråvik, Mia, Malin Barman, Bill Hesselmar, Anna Sandin, Agnes E. Wold, and Ann-Sofie Sandberg. 2020. "Maternal Intake of Cow’s Milk during Lactation Is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Food Allergy in Offspring" Nutrients 12, no. 12: 3680. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123680

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

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