Pro-inflammatory and low quality maternal diet in pregnancy and the risk of childhood lower lung function and asthma: a meta-analysis of 18,000 children

Background: Fetal exposure to a suboptimal maternal diet might affect respiratory health later in life. We tested the hypothesis that a pro-inflammatory or low-quality maternal diet in pregnancy was associated with child’s respiratory health. Methods: We performed an individual participant meta-analysis among 18,326 children and their mothers, participating in seven European birth cohorts. Maternal pro-inflammatory diet during pregnancy was estimated by the energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index score (E-DIITM), and low quality diet by the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score. Child’s preschool wheezing and school-age asthma and lung function were measured by questionnaires and spirometry. We used multilevel regression models with a random intercept at cohort level to study the associations. Results: After adjustment for lifestyle and sociodemographic factors, we observed no consistent associations of a high E-DII score (>90th percentile) with respiratory outcomes, but a low DASH score ( Conclusion: A low quality maternal diet in pregnancy might have a modest adverse effect on respiratory health in childhood.