title: Fat intake and breast milk fatty acid composition in farming and nonfarming women and allergy development in the offspring.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children growing up on small family farms are at much lower risk of developing allergy than other children. We hypothesized that low intake of margarine and polyunsaturated fats among farming families could contribute to this protection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight mother-infant pairs living on small dairy farms and 37 nonfarm rural resident pairs were recruited in the FARMFLORA birth cohort. Food items expected to affect dietary fat composition were recorded by food frequency questionnaires during pregnancy and by 24-h recalls followed by 24-h food diaries during lactation. Allergy was diagnosed by doctors, using strict predefined criteria. Maternal diet and breast milk fat composition were compared between farming and nonfarming mothers and related to children's allergy at age 3 y.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Farming mothers consumed more butter, whole milk, saturated fat, and total fat than nonfarming mothers, who consumed more margarine, oils, and low-fat milk. Farming mothers' breast milk contained higher proportions of saturated and lower proportions of polyunsaturated fat. Allergy was eight times more common in nonfarm children. Mothers of allergic children consumed more margarine and oils than mothers of nonallergic children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low maternal consumption of margarine and vegetable oils might contribute to the allergy-preventive effect of growing up on small dairy farms.
authors.affiliation: Division of Food and Nutrition Science, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.affiliation: Division of Food and Nutrition Science, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Malin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barman
authors.affiliation: Division of Food and Nutrition Science, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Agneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sjöberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hilde K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Brekke
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hesselmar
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic, Skaraborg Hospital, Lidköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Bacteriology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Agnes E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Wold
authors.affiliation: Division of Food and Nutrition Science, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ann-Sofie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Sandberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects; D002079:Butter; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003611:Dairy Products; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D000067565:Farmers; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005865:Gestational Age; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008383:Margarine / Q000009:adverse effects; D008460:Meat; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D057805:Pets; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000009:adverse effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D010938:Plant Oils; D002079:Butter; D008383:Margarine