A report at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology meeting revealed that children exposed to elevated levels of fructose at an early age are at an increased risk for developing asthma.
According to presenter Dr. Lakiea Wright, the odds ratio for asthma in mid-childhood increased 22 percent for children whose mothers consumed large amounts of fructose while pregnant. Similar asthma increases were reported in children who had elevated fructose consumption at the age of two.
“We found that sociodemographic factors, such as race and income, and measures of adiposity were associated with fructose intake,” said Wright. “Early-life exposure to fructose may influence asthma development in children.”
Researchers say the obesity epidemic has been fueled by high caloric beverages, and although sodas get most of the blame, sugar-rich juices packed with fructose at also at fault. The team was interested to see if early and excessive fructose was linked to any other health problems in children.
“We hypothesized that higher maternal prenatal and child fructose intake would be associated with childhood asthma,” said Wright.
In an effort to test the hypothesis, researchers analyzed self-reported data from 1,111 mother-child pairs. Wright and her team examined food questionnaire data to estimate maternal fructose intake during the first two trimesters of pregnancy and at the age of two. Kids were then evaluated for asthma later in life, with a median checkup age of 7.7 years.
After examining all the data, researchers uncovered:
- Overall, 19.7 percent of children were diagnosed with asthma during mid-childhood.
- Mothers in the highest quarter of fructose tended to have lower family income and a higher body mass index. Children from this group had a higher prevalence of elevated BMIs and mid-childhood asthma.
- 26 percent of children from the highest quarter group developed asthma by mid-childhood, compared to 14 percent for the other groups.
- Similar increases were seen in children who consumed the most fructose at two years of age.
Wright said sugar-sweetened beverages were to blame in maternal fructose intake, while juice consumption drove the increase in asthma in two-year-olds.
Wright acknowledged “that different sources of fructose at different stages of development may be contributing to inflammation and the development of asthma. The mechanism of action may be direct or indirect.”
Maternal vs. Early Childhood Consumption
Wright said that utero lung development is at a critical stage during the second trimester of pregnancy, and an increase in high fructose in the mother’s diet could cause significant issues. Researchers believe sugar sweetened beverages may contribute to asthma development through an indirect inflammatory pathway.
Children are still susceptible to asthma development after they are born. Doctors said a child’s lung are constantly developing at the age of two, and fructose in the juice may contribute to asthma through a direct inflammatory pathway.
Researchers concluded by saying the hope to conduct future studies to learn more about the association, noting that this study was limited by the use of self-reported information.
Dr. Silverman comments
This study shows that it’s important to consider what food and drink you’re putting in your body during pregnancy, and what you’re feeding your child during the early stages of life. Parents need to make good food choices for their children, otherwise they could inadvertently be putting their health at risk.
Related source: Med Page Today