title: Maternal consumption of dairy products, calcium, and vitamin D during pregnancy and infantile allergic disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidemiologic evidence of the association between maternal intake of dairy foods, calcium, and vitamin D during pregnancy and childhood allergic disorders is inconclusive.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between maternal intake of dairy foods, calcium, and vitamin D during pregnancy and childhood allergic disorders in Japanese children aged 23 to 29 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study participants were 1,354 mother-child pairs. Maternal intake during pregnancy was assessed with a validated diet history questionnaire administered between April 2007 and March 2008. Wheeze and eczema, defined according to criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, and physician-diagnosed asthma and atopic eczema were assessed via a questionnaire completed by mothers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher maternal intake of total dairy products during pregnancy was significantly associated with a reduced risk of infantile eczema (adjusted odds ratio [OR] between extreme quartiles, 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42-0.98). Higher maternal intake of cheese during pregnancy was significantly related to a reduced risk of physician-diagnosed infantile asthma (adjusted OR between extreme quartiles, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.18-0.97). Maternal intake levels of yogurt and calcium during pregnancy were significantly inversely associated with physician-diagnosed infantile atopic eczema (adjusted ORs between extreme quartiles, 0.49 and 0.34; 95% CI, 0.20-1.16 and 0.12-0.84; P for trend = .01 and .03, respectively). Maternal intake of vitamin D during pregnancy was significantly positively associated with infantile eczema (adjusted OR between extreme quartiles, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.07-2.51).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher maternal intake of total dairy products, cheese, yogurt, and calcium during pregnancy may reduce the risk of infantile eczema, physician-diagnosed asthma, physician-diagnosed atopic eczema, and physician-diagnosed atopic eczema, respectively. Higher maternal intake of vitamin D during pregnancy may increase the risk of infantile eczema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan. Electronic address: miyake-y@fukuoka-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Health Tourism Research Center, Graduate School of Tourism Sciences, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arakawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000276:immunology; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium