Apples pre-birth ‘prevents asthma’

Children whose mothers ate apples while pregnant are less likely to develop asthma, new research claims.

Scientists from the University of Aberdeen found that mothers who ate the most apples during pregnancy were the least likely to have children with doctor-confirmed asthma by the age of five or children who wheeze.

The researchers believe that the beneficial effect of the apples is due to levels of antioxidants called flavonoids, which work to prevent harmful effects of some chemicals in the body.

They also found that children whose mothers ate fish once or more a week were less likely to develop eczema than children of women who never ate fish. Omega 3 fatty acids could be one explanation for this beneficial effect, the researchers argue.

The findings come from the Seaton study, which studied 1,212 children born to women who had filled out food questionnaires during their pregnancy.

When the children reached five-years-old their mothers filled out a questionnaire about their respiratory symptoms and allergies as well as their children’s food consumption.

The results, the researchers argue, suggest that at least until age five, a mother’s diet during pregnancy might be more influential on a child’s respiratory health than the child’s own diet.

Researcher Saskia Willers said that if the study’s results are confirmed in further research then “recommendations on dietary modification during pregnancy may help to prevent childhood asthma and allergy”.

The study was presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 international conference.