BACKGROUND
Inflammation during pregnancy may be a factor in the developmental programming of asthma and wheeze in childhood.
OBJECTIVE
To examine associations of inflammatory potential of prenatal diet with respiratory outcomes in early and mid-childhood.
METHODS
Among 1,424 mother-child pairs in Project Viva, a pre-birth cohort, we examined associations of Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) (1 trimester, 2 trimester, and average of 1 and 2 trimester) scores in relation to: ever asthma and wheezing in the past year (early childhood and mid-childhood); current asthma and lung function (mid-childhood), and wheeze trajectory during 1-9 years. We used multivariable linear and logistic regression modeling, adjusting for relevant confounders.
RESULTS
In a fully adjusted analysis, a more pro-inflammatory diet was associated with an early vs. never wheeze trajectory (1 and 2 trimester average 4 vs. 1 quartile: OR=1.89, 95% CI: 1.14, 3.13). A more pro-inflammatory diet during pregnancy also was associated with lower forced expiratory flow (FEF) in mid-childhood (1 and 2 trimester average 4 vs. 1 quartile: β -132 ml, 95% CI: -249, -14). Results were evident for 1, but not 2, trimester DII and wheeze trajectory and mid-childhood FEF. Other child respiratory outcomes, including ever asthma, were not related to any DII measure during pregnancy.
CONCLUSION
Pro-inflammatory diet during pregnancy is associated with wheeze trajectory during early childhood and decrements in small airways caliber in mid-childhood, but not other respiratory outcomes in the offspring.