Effect of maternal DHA supplementation on childhood allergies and asthma

Abstract

Some evidence shows that fetal development may be a critical for the development of allergies and asthma later in life, and that DHA may play a key role in the development of the immune system. This study aimed to investigate the effects of DHA supplementation during this time period on the incidence of allergies and asthma up to six years of age. Women in the KUDOS cohort were given 600 mg of DHA or a placebo during their second and third trimesters of pregnancy, and their offspring were followed up to six years of age. Two-hundred thirty infants were included. Their medical records were collected until six years of age or until their records could no longer be acquired if the infant dropped out before six years of age. All records were coded and allergic diagnoses were examined for this study. These diagnoses were grouped into three categories, skin allergies, wheeze/asthma, and other allergies. Associations and relative risks were calculated for each type of allergy diagnosis and no significant associations were found. DHA supplementation during the prenatal period did not provide protection against asthma or allergies during the first year of life, the second through sixth years of life, or from birth to six years of age for any allergy, skin allergies, other allergies, or wheeze/asthma.