Prenatal Antioxidants Reduce Infant Wheezing

BOSTON--Prenatal antioxidant supplementation may reduce wheezing in infants, according to a new study. As part of an ongoing cohort study, 1,290 pregnant women were given a validated food-frequency questionnaire in the first and second trimesters to calculate  maternal antioxidant nutrient intake. After birth, researchers observed whether the child showed signs of wheezing during either the first or second year of life, or both. Consumption of vitamin E and zinc during pregnancy was inversely associated with wheezing in children at two years of age. Researchers also noted whether conditions of eczema existed in either the first or second years, but no association was observed between antioxidants taken during pregnancy and eczema. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (84, 4: 903-911, 2006).