Abstract
Evidence for a possible protective effect of maternal dietary antioxidant intake during pregnancy on childhood asthma and other atopic outcomes is conflicting, and associations with childhood lung function have been little studied. In the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, we analysed associations between maternal intake of fruits, vegetables, vitamins C and E, carotene, zinc, and selenium in pregnancy, and current doctor-diagnosed asthma, atopy, and lung function in 8915 children at 7–9 years. Potential modification of associations by maternal smoking and common maternal antioxidant gene polymorphisms was explored to strengthen causal inference. After controlling for confounders, positive associations were observed between maternal intake of zinc and childhood forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), and forced vital capacity (FVC) (difference in age, height and gender adjusted standard deviation units per quartile increase in maternal dietary zinc intake β (95% CI): 0.05 (0.01,0.08), p-trend=0.01 and 0.05 (0.02,0.09), p-trend=0.005, respectively). Weak evidence was found for an interaction between maternal zinc intake and maternal GSTM1 genotype on childhood FVC (p-interaction=0.05); association among the GSTM1 null group β: 0.11 (0.05,0.17), p-trend=0.001. Our results suggest that a higher maternal intake of zinc during pregnancy may be associated with better lung function in the offspring.
Footnotes
This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal. It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article.
Conflict of interest: Dr. Bédard has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Dr. Northstone has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Dr. Holloway has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Dr. Henderson reports grants from Medical Research Council, grants from Wellcome, during the conduct of the study.
Conflict of interest: Dr. Shaheen has nothing to disclose.
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