Impact of Maternal Diet During Pregnancy on Allergic Predisposition in Offspring: Immune Programming Mechanisms

TL;DR

This study shows that a mother's diet during pregnancy can reduce her child's risk of allergies by shaping the baby's immune system through changes in gene activity.

Contribution

The study identifies specific dietary components and epigenetic mechanisms linking maternal nutrition to offspring allergy risk.

Findings

Higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with decreased FOXP3 methylation in newborns.

Probiotic consumption was linked to IL-10 demethylation and lower allergy rates in children.

Children of mothers with high omega-3 and probiotic intake had reduced allergic susceptibility at 12 months.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine how dietary habits of pregnant women influence foetal immune programming and susceptibility to allergies in young children.

The study followed 172 healthy women aged 20–38 years from early pregnancy to one year postpartum in Warsaw, Poland. Dietary data were collected at 12, 24, and 36 weeks using a validated questionnaire and three-day food diaries. Immunological analysis of newborn cord blood included multiplex cytokine analysis, flow cytometry, PCR, and pyrosequencing of FOXP3, IL-10, and TGFβ1 gene promoter regions.

The results showed an increased intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and probiotics, accompanied by a decreased intake of allergenic foods. This was accompanied by a balanced immune profile in neonates: increased interferon gamma (IFN-γ) (12.36 pg/ml) and IL-10 (9.21 pg/ml), decreased interleukin 4 (IL-4) (5.82 pg/ml) and immunoglobulin E (IgE) (1.62 IU/ml), indicating a decrease in T helper 2 (Th2)-direction. Higher intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was linked to decreased FOXP3 methylation (r = −0.34; p = 0.008), and probiotics to IL-10 demethylation (r = −0.27; p = 0.03). By 12 months, 21.5% of children showed signs of allergic susceptibility, but those born to women with high omega-3 intake (> 13.5 g/day, OR = 0.42; p = 0.005) and probiotics (OR = 0.55; p = 0.027) had lower rates.

The influence of maternal nutrition during pregnancy on the immune health of the child, in particular on the development of allergic predisposition, has been determined through the mechanisms of gene methylation and changes in the immune profile of newborns.