Check out this article at
http://pediatrics.medscape.com/28384.rhtml?srcmp=ped-101300
Maternal Diet Linked to Atopic Sensitization of Breastfed Infants
WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Oct 10 - Breast-fed infants whose mothers
consume high levels of total and saturated fat appear to be more likely than
other breast-fed infants to develop atopic sensitization.
Breast-feeding is considered beneficial for infants in atopic families, Dr.
U. Hoppu and colleagues from the University of Turku, Finland, note in the
September issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They
investigated whether a breast-feeding woman's fat consumption would change
this relationship.
The researchers studied 114 breast-feeding babies with a family history of
atopic disease. Their mothers kept a food record for 4 days when the infants
were nearly 3 months old.
Nearly one quarter (23.7%) of infants became sensitized to common allergens
by age 1 year, most commonly eggs, milk, wheat and cats. The risk of atopy
was not significantly increased by maternal atopic disease.
However, "maternal intake of saturated fat during breastfeeding was
associated with atopic sensitization of the infant," with an odds ratio of
1.16, Dr. Hoppu's group reports.
The authors recommend that women in atopic families should be counseled to
moderate their dietary fat intake during breast-feeding and preferably
during pregnancy, since a high intake of saturated fat generally indicates
an unbalanced diet.
Eur J Clin Nutrition 2000;54:702-705.

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