Use of cod liver oil during pregnancy associated with lower risk of Type I diabetes in the offspring.
OBJECTIVE
To test whether cod liver oil or vitamin D supplements either taken by the mother during pregnancy or by the child in the first year of life is associated with lower risk of Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in children.


METHODS
We carried out a population-based case control study in Vest-Agder county of Norway, evaluating the use of supplements by a mailed questionnaire. We received responses from 85 diabetic subjects and 1,071 control subjects. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using logistic regression analyses.


RESULTS
When mothers took cod liver oil during pregnancy their offspring had a lower risk of diabetes. The unadjusted OR was 0.30, 95% CI: (0.12 to 0.75), p = 0.01. This association changed very little and was still significant after adjusting for age, sex, breastfeeding and maternal education. Mothers taking multivitamin supplements during pregnancy [adjusted OR= 1.11, 95% CI: (0.69 to 1.77)], infants taking cod liver oil in the first year of life [adjusted OR = 0.82, 95 % CI: (0.47 to 1.42) and the use of other vitamin D supplements in the first year of life [adjusted OR = 1.27, 95 % CI: (0.70 to 2.31)] was not [corrected] significantly associated with the risk of diabetes.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that cod liver oil taken during pregnancy was associated with reduced risk of Type I diabetes in the offspring. This suggests that vitamin D or the n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in the cod liver oil, or both, have a protective effect against Type I diabetes.
Stene
L C
LC
Section of Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Ulriksen
J
J
Magnus
P
P
Joner
G
G
D001942:Breast Feeding; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003060:Cod Liver Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000628:therapy*; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014815:Vitamins
D014815:Vitamins; D003060:Cod Liver Oil