“If our theory proves correct and the diet of pregnant women were to return to that eaten 30-40 years ago, then the prevalence of childhood asthma would fall within a decade to the low levels seen previously.”
--- Professor Anthony Seaton, Head of the University of Aberdeen’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine
A novel study into the potential links between the diet of pregnant women and the development of asthma in children is being carried out by a team from the University of Aberdeen and Grampian University Hospitals Trust supported by a £105,000 grant from the National Asthma Campaign.
The study will investigate connections between the dietary consumption of antioxidants, fats and oils by women during pregnancy and the development of asthma and allergies in their children. A unique feature of the study is that the team is not only studying epidemiological associations but is also investigating the effect of the mother’s diet on the immune system of the developing baby before birth.
The project is the result of close collaboration between Dr Graham Devereux, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine and staff in four University departments – Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Child Health, Obstetrics and Medicine and Therapeutics.
Dr Graham Devereux explained: “ In the last 30-40 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people suffering from asthma and other allergies, particularly among children. This rapid increase points to changes in the environment and/or lifestyle rather then genetic factors
“Our proposal is that the environment has not become more toxic but instead, lifestyle changes have increased the risk of individuals developing asthma. We are interested in the diet of pregnant women, particularly their consumption of natural antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables, and of fats and oils.
“There has been a significant (up to 50%) reduction in consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in the last 40 years and several studies in adults have demonstrated associations between wheeze and diets low in antioxidants. Studies in animals have shown that antioxidants have the potential to influence the immune system toward the patterns associated with asthma.”
This is the second grant awarded to this project by the National Asthma Campaign The first award was made in 1997 when the team started the recruitment of 1500 pregnant women. Blood tests and a questionnaire assessed the diet of the pregnant women.
All of the babies have been born and Dr Devereux and colleagues are now following up the children to see if they develop asthma, eczema or hayfever. The team is also studying the immune system of some of the babies at birth to establish whether the mother’s diet influences the immune system of the baby as it develops in the womb.
Professor Anthony Seaton, Head of the University of Aberdeen’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine continued: “This new grant has enabled us to increase the number of pregnant women recruited to a total of 2000 and we are now able to follow the babies for two years to see if they develop asthma. The major thrust of this grant, however, is to investigate the possible role of dietary intake of fats and oil by pregnant women and the development of asthma in their children
“We shall investigate where there is an association between the dietary consumption of fats and oils by pregnant women and the development of asthma and allergies in their children but we also aim to show that the fats and oil are exerting their effects by influencing the development of the immune system of the developing baby before birth.
“In the long term, if the study is successful, the most important outcome would be the realisation that the diet of pregnant women is important in determining the risk of their unborn child developing asthma and allergies. This would raise the possibility of altering the diet of pregnant women to reduce the risk of the babies developing the diseases and so stemming the rise in the number of cases.”
Professor Seaton added: “If our theory proves correct and the diet of pregnant women were to return to that eaten 30-40 years ago, then the prevalence of childhood asthma would fall within a decade to the low levels seen at that time.”
Further Information:
University Press Office on telephone +44 (0)1224-273778 or email a.ramsay@admin.abdn.ac.uk.