Nutritional Advice El MondoObjectives:
There is uncertainty about the influence of diet during pregnancy and infancy on a child’s immune development. Therefore, this meta-analysis (systematic review) has been conducted.
Is there an association between diet during pregnancy and infancy on a child’s immune development?
Study design:
This review article included 260 studies (964,143 participants) of milk feeding, including 1 intervention trial of breastfeeding promotion and 173 studies (542,672 participants) of other maternal or infant dietary exposures, including 80 trials of maternal (n = 26), infant (n = 32), or combined (n = 22) interventions.
Risk of bias was high in 125 (48%) milk feeding studies and 44 (25%) studies of other dietary exposures.
Results and conclusions:
The investigators found in 19 intervention trials that oral supplementation with nonpathogenic micro-organisms (probiotics) during late pregnancy and lactation significantly reduced risk of eczema with 22% [risk ratio = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.68-0.90, I2 = 61% with an absolute risk reduction of 44 cases per 1.000, 95% CI = 20-64]. GRADE certainty of these findings was moderate.
The investigators found in 6 intervention trials that fish oil supplementation during pregnancy and lactation significantly reduced risk of allergic sensitisation to egg with 31% [risk ratio = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.53-0.90, I2 = 15% with an absolute risk reduction of 31 cases per 1.000, 95% CI = 10-47]. GRADE certainty of these findings was moderate.
The investigators found weaker support for the hypotheses that breastfeeding promotion reduced risk of eczema during infancy (1 intervention trial), that longer exclusive breastfeeding was associated with reduced type 1 diabetes mellitus (28 observational studies) and that probiotics reduce risk of allergic sensitisation to cow’s milk (9 intervention trials). GRADE certainty of these findings was low.
The investigators did not find that other dietary exposures - including prebiotic supplements, maternal allergenic food avoidance and vitamin, mineral, fruit and vegetable intake - influenced risk of allergic or autoimmune disease.
The investigators concluded there are positive health effects between maternal probiotic and fish oil supplements during pregnancy and lactation and eczema or allergic sensitisation to food during childhood.
Original title:
Diet during pregnancy and infancy and risk of allergic or autoimmune disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis by Garcia-Larsen V, Ierodiakonou D, [...], Boyle RJ.
Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5830033/
Additional information of El Mondo:
Find here more information/studies about probiotic, pregnancy and fish oil.