An Apple A Day - During Pregnancy - Keeps The Doctor Away

May 21st 2007

Pregnant women who eat apples and fish may reduce the risk of their children suffering from allergies, Scottish researchers reported yesterday.

Women who eat at least four apples a week seem to halve the chance of their children developing asthma before the age of five, according to the study of more than 1,200 children.

And women who eat fish also seemed to halve the chance of their child developing the skin condition eczema.

Researchers from Aberdeen University, Scotland, reported their findings to the conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Francisco, California.

The study failed to find any other foods which protected against allergy-related diseases. These included tests for whole grain, fruit juice, vegetables, citrus fruit and dairy fats.

The findings built on earlier research which suggested vitamins E, D and the mineral zinc taken during pregnancy could cut the risk of a child developing a wheeze or asthma.

Researcher Saskia Willers, of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, said: "If the new results are confirmed, recommendations on dietary modification during pregnancy may help to prevent childhood asthma and allergy.

"Other studies have looked at individual nutrients’ effect on asthma in pregnancy, but our study looked at specific foods during pregnancy and the subsequent development of childhood asthma and allergies, which is quite new.

"Foods contain mixtures of nutrients that may contribute more than the sum of their parts."

Subscribe or spread the word:

Related Information

• More pregnancy news articles
• More womens health news articles
• More healthy diet news articles