title: Prenatal exposure to selenium may protect against wheezing in children by the age of 3.
abstract: It has been suggested that human in utero exposure to heavy metals such as selenium can reduce the prevalence of childhood asthma and allergic diseases. However, data on this topic are scarce. The objective of the present study was to assess the putative associations between maternal selenium level during pregnancy and the risk of asthma, wheezing, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis in children from the EDEN birth cohort by the age of 1 and 3 years.
  
  
  
  Plasma selenium concentrations were measured in maternal blood during mid-pregnancy (24-28 weeks of gestation) in 861 mothers. Cohort children were followed up from birth to 3 years using health questionnaires filled out by the parents for asthma, wheezing, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Maternal plasma selenium was related to the childhood outcomes by the age of 1 and 3 years.
  
  
  
  Our results showed a significant negative association between a high maternal plasma selenium level during pregnancy and the risk of wheezing in the child by the age of 1 and 3 years. However, maternal plasma selenium during pregnancy was not associated with the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis.
  
  
  
  The results of this study suggest that the level of fetal exposure to maternal selenium could have an influence on the risk of wheezing in infancy and potentially on the risk of developing asthma later in life.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases Department (EPAR) Sorbonne Universités UPMC Univ Paris 06 INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP UMRS 1136) Medical School Saint-Antoine 75012 Paris France.
authors.forename: Nour
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baïz
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases Department (EPAR)Sorbonne UniversitésUPMC Univ Paris 06INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP UMRS 1136)Medical School Saint-Antoine75012 ParisFrance; Department of General PracticeUPMC Université Paris 6Medical School Saint Antoine75012 ParisFrance.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chastang
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases Department (EPAR)Sorbonne UniversitésUPMC Univ Paris 06INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP UMRS 1136)Medical School Saint-Antoine75012 ParisFrance; Department of General PracticeUPMC Université Paris 6Medical School Saint Antoine75012 ParisFrance.
authors.forename: Gladys
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ibanez
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases Department (EPAR) Sorbonne Universités UPMC Univ Paris 06 INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP UMRS 1136) Medical School Saint-Antoine 75012 Paris France.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Annesi-Maesano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000453:epidemiology; D012306:Risk; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012643:Selenium
keywords: Asthma; allergic diseases; gestation; mother–child cohort; selenium; wheezing