Abstract
Background: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in human milk are essential in immune system maturation and might play a role in the development of allergic conditions, such as atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants. Immune system responses are modulated by sex, but data on the sex-specific associations with PUFAs are limited. We therefore explored sex-specific differences in human milk PUFAs and their association with AD up to 2 years. Methods: PUFAs were measured in human milk samples from the Ulm SPATZ Health Study at 6 weeks (n = 512) and 6 months (n = 367). Associations with AD up to 2 years were evaluated using crude and multivariable logistic regression. Interactions between infant sex and PUFAs were explored by including the product term. Results: No significant associations were observed with 6-week data. At 6 months, the median relative proportion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was significantly higher in milk for female than male infants (p =.001). Female infants whose milk was lower in quintile proportions of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) at 6 months had lower odds of AD compared to males [first vs. fifth quintile OR (95% confidence interval): 0.13 (0.02, 0.66), p =.02]. This interaction was not significant when correcting for multiple testing (α threshold: p =.004). No other statistically significant associations were observed. Conclusion: Individual quintile PUFA proportions in human milk were not associated with AD, overall and in a sex-specific manner. More comprehensive and statistically powered longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether potential sex differences in human milk, if any, could be of clinical relevance for infants including the investigation of mediating factors.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e13992 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Pediatric Allergy and Immunology |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank the midwives, nurses, and obstetricians of the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Centre Ulm and the caring pediatricians and mothers and their families for their study support and participation. The authors would also like to thank Mrs. Gerlinde Trischler for providing excellent technical assistance. Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.
Funding Information:
The Ulm SPATZ Health Study was funded through an unrestricted grant by the Medical Faculty of Ulm University. This research was co‐funded by Medical Faculty, Leipzig University and by Danone Nutricia Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology published by European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Funding
We thank the midwives, nurses, and obstetricians of the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Centre Ulm and the caring pediatricians and mothers and their families for their study support and participation. The authors would also like to thank Mrs. Gerlinde Trischler for providing excellent technical assistance. Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. The Ulm SPATZ Health Study was funded through an unrestricted grant by the Medical Faculty of Ulm University. This research was co‐funded by Medical Faculty, Leipzig University and by Danone Nutricia Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Keywords
- atopic dermatitis
- human milk
- infant sex
- polyunsaturated fatty acids
