BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

• Evidence is conflicting evidence whether suboptimal diet during pregnancy is associated with poor respiratory outcomes in children
• Mensink-Bout et al. (European Respiratory Journal, 2022) examined whether a pro-inflammatory or low-quality maternal diet during pregnancy was associated with child’s respiratory health

METHODS:

• Individual participant data meta-analysis
• Population
  • Mother–child pairs from seven European birth cohorts
• Exposure
  • Maternal pro-inflammatory and low-quality diets
• Study design
  • Maternal pro-inflammatory and low-quality diets were estimated by energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) scores
  • E-DII Diet
    • Main pro-inflammatory components: Trans fat | Saturated fat | Cholesterol
    • Main anti-inflammatory components: Nutrients derived from fruits and vegetables and n-3 fatty acids
  • Preschool wheezing: Ever reported wheezing during the first 4 years of life
  • School-age asthma: Asthma diagnosis reported between 5 and 10 years
  • Adjustments for lifestyle and sociodemographic factors
  • Outcomes were measured using questionnaires and spirometry
• Primary outcomes
  • Preschool wheezing
  • School-age asthma
  • Lung function

RESULTS:

• 18 ,326 mother–child pairs
• More pro-inflammatory diets during pregnancy (higher maternal E-DII score) were associated only with a lower forced vital capacity (FVC) in children
  • z-score difference −0.05 (95% CI, −0.08– −0.02) per interquartile range increase
• There were no associations between maternal E-DII or DASH score with
  • Childhood wheezing
  • Asthma
• In an exploratory examination of the extremes, a very low DASH score (<10th percentile; a very low dietary quality) was associated with
  • Increased risk of preschool wheezing
  • Low forced expiratory volume over 1 second (FEV1)
• Outcome effects were not altered following adjustment for early growth factors, lower respiratory tract infections nor child’s BMI

CONCLUSION:

• Low-quality diets during pregnancy, including those that are pro-inflammatory, were not associated with poor respiratory outcomes in childhood
• The authors state

The main results from this individual participant data meta-analysis do not support the hypothesis that maternal pro-inflammatory or low-quality diet in pregnancy are related to respiratory diseases in childhood

Learn More – Primary Sources:

Maternal diet in pregnancy and child’s respiratory outcomes: an individual participant data meta-analysis of 18 000 children

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