Objective: Reduced maternal levels of vitamin D, E and zinc during pregnancy has been linked to the development of asthma and allergic disease in children. The birth cohort investigated if maternal dietary intake in pregnant Saudi women was associated with childhood asthma and allergic disease up to 24 months of age. Methods: One thousand six hundred and twenty four women were recruited to a prospective birth cohort from an antenatal clinic in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A food frequency questionnaire was used to characterize diet during pregnancy and serum micronutrient levels were measured. 1436 singleton children were followed up at 6, 12 and 24 months of age by interview administrated telephone calls. Results: Multivariate analyses revealed no associations between the primary maternal dietary nutrient intakes of vitamin E and zinc and the respiratory outcomes in the cohort children at 24 months of age. There was a borderline significant association between increasing maternal zinc intake and maternal reports of food allergy in the cohort children at 24 months. Positive associations with maternal dietary folate intake with maternally reported ‘itchy rash for at least 6 consecutive months' (OR= 2.36 p-=0.020) and any food allergies (OR= 2.18 p= 0.025). Conclusion: This study suggests no conclusive evidence that maternal intake of vitamin D, E and zinc of Saudi women may lower the risks of developing asthma and allergic disease in early childhood. However, a higher dietary intake of folate during pregnancy increased the risk of reported itchy rash, eczema and food allergy in the cohort children up to 24 months. Further follow up of the cohort will provided evidence that will support or refute whether maternal diet during pregnancy is associated with asthma and allergic disease in childhood.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:606485 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Al-Makoshi, Amel Abdullah |
| Publisher | University of Aberdeen |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=211220 |
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