ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the association between maternal food group intakes during pregnancy and the risk of infantile eczema in a Chinese population. Methods A prospective birth cohort study was conducted and 523 women were recruited at 20-28 weeks of pregnancy in Guangzhou from 2017 to 2018. A validated 81-item quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess maternal dietary intakes during the past month. Food items were divided into ten food groups according to the Chinese Dietary Guidelines. Offspring were followed up at 6 months by the symptom questionnaire of eczema. Multivariate Logistic regression model was conducted to evaluate the association between maternal food group intakes during pregnancy and the risk of infantile eczema. Results The cumulative incidence of eczema at 6 months was 51.8%. Maternal consumption of poultry was higher in the eczema group (27.62±25.20 g/d) than the control group (22.03±22.63 g/d, P=0.022). Comparing to the lowest quantile (Q1), higher maternal intake of poultry (Q4) and fish (Q3) were significantly associated with an increased risk of infantile eczema (OR=2.71, 95% CI=1.24-4.81; OR=2.38, 95% CI=1.23-4.59, respectively) after multivariate adjustment. Conclusion Higher intakes of poultry or fish during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of infantile eczema in Chinese population.