Pregnant women who take a fish oil supplement may help reduce their child’s food allergy risk, new research has found.
A team from Imperial College London concluded this after looking at data from more than 400 studies, involving over 1.5 million mothers and their children.
They found that a daily fish oil capsule taken after the 20th week of pregnancy and during the first three-to-four months of breastfeeding reduced a child’s chances of developing an egg allergy by 30%, The Telegraph reports.
Taking a probiotic supplement during weeks 36-to-38 of pregnancy was also found to reduce a baby’s chances of developing eczema by 22%. The same effect was seen when women took a probiotic during the first three-to-six months of breastfeeding.
Meanwhile, the research – which was commissioned by the Food Standards Agency – showed no evidence that eating allergy-triggering foods, including eggs, dairy and nuts, during pregnancy had any effect on a child’s future risk.
Lead researcher Dr Robert Boyle said in a release: ‘Food allergies and eczema in children are a growing problem across the world.
‘Although there has been a suggestion that what a woman eats during pregnancy may affect her baby’s risk of developing allergies or eczema, until now there has never been such a comprehensive analysis of the data.
‘Our research suggests probiotic and fish oil supplements may reduce a child’s risk of developing an allergic condition, and these findings need to be considered when guidelines for pregnant women are updated.’
That said, the team – whose work has been published in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine – added that further research is now needed to establish whether fish oil and probiotic supplements may help protect against allergies and eczema.
Study co-author Dr Vanessa Garcia-Larsen added: ‘Despite allergies and eczema being on the rise, and affecting millions of children, we are still hunting for the root causes of these conditions, and how to prevent them.
‘This study has provided clues, which we now need to follow with further research.’
Speak to your GP or pharmacist before taking supplements during pregnancy.
