Childbirth, breastfeeding and mothers’ diets can reduce the risk of allergies in children

It is possible not to transfer your allergies to your children. While this worry is common to millions of pregnant women, especially when they’re battling food or respiratory allergies themselves, two new studies presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Houston (US States), dispel concerns. They bring out new information about prenatal nutrition, how the baby is fed and how the mother’s eating habits can reduce the risk of developing an allergy in the baby.

The two studies – “How a baby is born and fed may affect the onset of allergies” and “The mother’s diet during pregnancy and history of allergies affect offspring” – establish a roadmap for pregnant women that can help reduce the risk of developing an allergy in their infant, even if the mother has a personal history of allergy.

Birthing technique influences the risk of allergies

In the first study, researchers reviewed the medical records of 158,422 children after identifying children with multiple allergies. ACAAI fellow allergist David Hill, senior author of the study says: “We examined whether the children were delivered vaginally or by caesarean section, and whether they were exclusively breastfed or breastfed. mother was given to them in a complementary way. We found that vaginal delivery was associated with a reduced rate of development of allergic conditions. Additionally, exclusive breastfeeding and complementary breastfeeding have been associated with a reduction in the development of allergies.”

According to David Hill, “Although pregnant women cannot always have a say in how a baby is delivered, they can nevertheless reduce the risk of general allergy in infants by breastfeeding or feeding them within in a complementary way. This could be useful in reducing the rate of occurrence of allergies in children.”

In the second health study – “Maternal diet during pregnancy and history of allergies affect offspring” – which was conducted in Denver, researchers wanted to determine if there is an association between dietary habits food of pregnant women, history of allergic disease and weather conditions, these two factors can affect the development of allergy in infants, whether cutaneous (such as eczema and / or food.

Choose a varied diet while pregnant

Carina Venter, an ACAAI member and lead author of the study, says the research team surveyed 1,315 pregnant women and tracked their eating habits as well as their allergy history. Researchers have found that children born to mothers with low dietary diversity and a history of allergic diseases are at higher risk of developing allergies, such as eczema and/or food allergy.

According to Carina Venter, 33% of children with eczema and/or food allergies before the age of 2 have mothers who do not diversify their diet enough and who also have a personal history of allergic disease. On the other hand, 21% of children, whose mother has a good dietary diversity, develop eczema and/or food allergies before the age of 2, regardless of whether the mother has a history or not. of allergic disease.

Allergist David Fleischer, ACAAI member and co-author of the study, says that restricting yourself, especially in mothers who have a personal history of allergic disease, to a more diversified diet during pregnancy , can influence a baby’s chances of developing some form of energy for two years after birth.