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  • Original Article
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Maternal pregnancy weight gain and cord blood iron status are associated with eosinophilia in infancy

Journal of Perinatology volume 35, pages 621–626 (2015)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

Allergic disease is multifactorial in origin. Because iron nutrition affects immune responses and maternal pregnancy weight gain impairs fetal iron delivery while increasing fetal demands for growth, the study examined maternal pregnancy weight gain, newborn iron status and an index of atopic disease, infant eosinophilia.

Study Design:

Within a larger prospective study of healthy newborns at risk for developing iron deficiency anemia, umbilical cord iron indicators were compared to infant eosinophil counts.

Result:

Infants who developed eosinophilia exhibited higher cord reticulocyte-enriched zinc protoporphyrin/heme ratio, P<0.05 and fewer cord ferritin values in the highest (best) quartile, P<0.05. If cord ferritin was in the upper three quartiles, the negative predictive value for infant eosinophilia was 90%. High maternal pregnancy weight gain predicted infant eosinophil counts, P<0.04, and contributed to cord ferritin predicting eosinophilia, P<0.003.

Conclusion:

Poor fetal iron status may be an additional risk factor for infant eosinophilia.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the participating families, Meriter Hospital Birthing Center Staff, Sharon E Blohowiak, BS, MS; Daphne Q-D Pham, PhD; Anthony P Auger, PhD; Robert F Lemanske Jr, MD; and the Kling Laboratory Research Team. RW and MEB-C received fellowship support from the University of Wisconsin Medical Student Shapiro Summer Research and Cardiovascular Research Center Research Fellowships. NCD received grant support from the UW Hilldale Undergraduate Research Fellowship. PJK received grant support from NIH UL1TR000427 (UW CTSA Program), Meriter Foundation, Wisconsin Partnership Collaborative Health Sciences Program Grant and the Thrasher Research Fund. TWG and CLC have no relationships to declare for this manuscript.

Author Contributions

RW and MEB-C recruited patients, processed and analyzed samples, collected and entered data, analyzed data and contributed in writing the manuscript. NCD performed literature review, analyzed data, wrote and revised the manuscript. CLC and TWG assisted with study design, data analysis and revised the manuscript. PJK, the principal investigator for the larger study, assisted with study design, obtained funding, supervised enrollment, assays and data development and supervised in writing the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA

    R Weigert, N C Dosch, M E Bacsik-Campbell, T W Guilbert & P J Kling

  2. Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA,

    R Weigert & M E Bacsik-Campbell

  3. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA,

    T W Guilbert

  4. Harlow Center for Biological Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA

    C L Coe

Authors
  1. R Weigert
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  2. N C Dosch
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  4. T W Guilbert
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Correspondence to P J Kling.

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Weigert, R., Dosch, N., Bacsik-Campbell, M. et al. Maternal pregnancy weight gain and cord blood iron status are associated with eosinophilia in infancy. J Perinatol 35, 621–626 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2015.21

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