Vitamin C in breast milk may reduce the risk of atopy in the infant.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of maternal dietary and supplement intake of vitamins C and E on breast milk antioxidant composition (vitamin C, alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene) and their protective potential against the development of atopy in the infant.


METHODS
Mothers with atopic disease were recruited at the end of gestation and maternal sensitization was assessed by skin-prick testing. The 4-day food records of the mothers and breast milk samples were collected at the infants' age of 1 month. Infants' atopy was defined by the presence of atopic dermatitis during the first year of life and a positive skin-prick test reaction at 12 months of age (n=34).


RESULTS
Maternal intake of vitamin C in diet but not as supplement was shown to determine the concentration of vitamin C in breast milk. A higher concentration of vitamin C in breast milk was associated with a reduced risk of atopy in the infant (OR=0.30; 95% CI 0.09-0.94; P=0.038), whereas alpha-tocopherol had no consistent relationship with atopy. The group at risk of suboptimal vitamin C supply from breast milk was identified as infants whose mothers suffer from food hypersensitivity.


CONCLUSIONS
A maternal diet rich in natural sources of vitamin C during breastfeeding could reduce the risk of atopy in high-risk infants.
Hoppu
U
U
Department of Paediatrics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. ulla.hoppu@utu.fi
Rinne
M
M
Salo-Väänänen
P
P
Lampi
A-M
AM
Piironen
V
V
Isolauri
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D001942:Breast Feeding; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012882:Skin Tests; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology
D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E; D001205:Ascorbic Acid