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Maternal nutrition, infants and children

Maternal fish consumption during pregnancy and risks of wheezing and eczema in childhood: The Generation R Study

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Maternal fish consumption during pregnancy might influence the fetal immune system through anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids, and might affect the risks of childhood asthma and atopy. In Generation R, a prospective cohort study in the Netherlands, we examined the associations of first trimester fish consumption with childhood wheezing and eczema in the first 4 years of life.

Methods:

In total, 2976 mothers completed a 293-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire covering dietary intake in the first trimester. The occurrence of wheezing and eczema was yearly assessed by questionnaires.

Results:

Median weekly fish consumption was 83 (95% range 0–316) grams per week. We observed no consistent associations of maternal total-, lean- or fatty-fish consumption during pregnancy with the risks of childhood wheezing. Maternal shellfish consumption of 1–13 g per week was associated with overall increased risks of childhood wheezing and eczema (OR 1.20 (1.04, 1.40) and OR 1.18 (1.01, 1.37), respectively). Maternal fatty fish consumption of 35–69 g per week was associated with increased overall risks of childhood eczema (OR 1.17 (1.00, 1.38)), but maternal total- or lean-fish consumption was not.

Conclusions:

During pregnancy, shellfish consumption was associated with increased risks of wheezing and eczema, while fatty fish consumption was associated with a higher risk of eczema only. Maternal total fish or lean fish consumption were not associated with wheezing or eczema. Further studies are needed to replicate these findings and to explore underlying mechanisms.

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Acknowledgements

The Generation R Study is conducted by the Erasmus Medical Center in close collaboration with the School of Law and the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Municipal Health Service, Rotterdam area, and the Stichting Trombosedienst and Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond (Star-MDC), Rotterdam. We gratefully acknowledge the contribution of general practitioners, hospitals, midwives and pharmacies in Rotterdam. The general design of the Generation R Study was made possible by financial support from the Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development. Dr Vincent Jaddoe received an additional grant from the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw 90700303, 916.10159). Prof Oscar H. Franco has received a grant from Pfizer nutrition to establish a center on ageing research called ErasmusAGE. Dr Liesbeth Duijts is the recipient of a European Respiratory Society/Marie Curie Joint Research Fellowship—Number MC 1226-2009. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Respiratory Society and the European Community’s Seventh Framework Program FP7/2007-2013—Marie Curie Actions under grant agreement RESPIRE, PCOFUND-GA-2008-229571 and from the seventh framework program, project CHICOS (HEALTH-F2-2009-241504).

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Leermakers, E., Sonnenschein-van der Voort, A., Heppe, D. et al. Maternal fish consumption during pregnancy and risks of wheezing and eczema in childhood: The Generation R Study. Eur J Clin Nutr 67, 353–359 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.36

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