Good news for breastfeeding mommies and moms-to-be taking fish oil capsules! A new study says daily intake of fish oil during pregnancy and the first few months of breastfeeding can reduce a baby’s risk of food allergy.
Immune system malfunctions cause allergies, which may result in rashes, swelling, vomiting, and wheezing. Fish oil contains omega-3, a unique kind of fat that has a positive anti-inflammatory effect on the body.
Probiotics and fish oil during pregnancy are good for you
According to an extensive analysis of past trials done by Imperial College London, taking fish oil during pregnancy (specifically, after the twentieth week of pregnancy and for the first three to four months of breastfeeding) led to a 30% reduction of egg allergy risk in babies by age one.
Meanwhile, eczema risk was 22% lower in children whose mothers took a probiotic supplement between 36 and 38 weeks of pregnancy.
Experts say larger trials are needed to study these children for longer. Still, this research has confirmed that a mum’s diet during pregnancy is influential in the development of allergies in kids early on.
Fish oil during pregnancy in moderation
File photo
Dr. Robert Boyle, lead author of the research, from the department of medicine at Imperial College London, said:
“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.”
The supplements discussed include omega-3 fatty acids, which are also present in oily fish.
The current advice of experts is that pregnant women should consume no more than two portions of oily fish a week. Too much and you may get mercury poisoning from some fish, so avoid shark, swordfish, or marlin.
Impact of probiotics and fish oil during pregnancy
The research group looked at 19 trials of fish oil supplements taken during pregnancy involving 15,000 people. The researchers found that the reduction in allergy risk equated to 31 fewer cases of egg allergy per 1,000 children.
They also looked at the impact of probiotic supplements taken during pregnancy. The researchers found a 22% reduction in the risk of eczema developing in children up to the age of three.
But they found no evidence that avoiding foods such as nuts, dairy and eggs during pregnancy made any difference to a child’s allergy risk.
Fruit, vegetable and vitamin intake appeared to have no impact either, the study published in the journal PLOS Medicine found.
‘Further larger trials’
Professor of respiratory epidemiology at Queen Mary University of London, Seif Shaheen, said the new study bolsters the link between diet during pregnancy and preventing childhood allergies.
“More definitive answers on the possible role of maternal probiotic and fish oil supplementation in the prevention of childhood allergic disease can only come from further large trials which follow up the children to school age,” he said.
“If such trials are big enough, they may be able to identify particular subgroups of mothers and children who would benefit most from these interventions.”
Fish oil during pregnancy affects egg allergies
Eating fish can help. | File photo
Dr Louisa James, from the British Society for Immunology, warned that fish oil’s effect could be just about sensitivity to eggs. There are still questions to answer over more severe food allergies.
“The studies using fish oil supplementation all measured allergic sensitization to egg as a surrogate measure of food allergy,” she said.
“Although sensitization is necessary for allergies to develop, many children may be sensitized without ever developing any symptoms of allergy and so it will be important to determine if fish oil supplementation can reduce the risk of clinical food allergy.”
Don’t do liver oil
There’s a theory that allergies are on the rise because we now encounter a less diverse range of microbes. And this is in thanks to modern advances in sanitation. Since probiotics contain live bacteria, taking these during pregnancy or breastfeeding can help a child’s immune system.
There are also previous studies that suggested omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil help calm down over-active immune systems. In effect, this reduces the risk of allergies in children. However, pregnant women should still be careful.
The UK National Health Service (NHS) says women shouldn’t take any supplements containing vitamin A (retinol), including fish liver oils.
Just eat fish
Fish and vegetables. | File photo
Rather than take fish oil capsules during pregnancy, the NHS recommends expecting moms eat fish instead. Subsistence on a fish diet is especially helpful as fish contains a wide variety of beneficial nutrients.
Caution must be taken though, as the NHS advises pregnant women not to eat too much tuna or oily fish. Non-oily fish are still a good source of omega-3s.
This recent study also found no evidence that avoiding allergenic food during pregnancy can lower allergy risk in children. These kinds of food include nuts, dairy products, seafood, chocolate, or eggs.
Source: BBC, New Scientist, Science Daily
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Republished with permission from: theAsianParent Singapore