Does maternal fermented dairy products consumption protect against cow's milk protein allergy in toddlers?

Background: Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) is the most common immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergy in childhood.

Objective: To investigate the potential impact on the disease of the frequency, amount, and diversity of maternal consumption of fermented dairy products (FDP) during pregnancy and lactation in children with immunoglobulin E-mediated CMPA.

Methods: One hundred sixty toddlers (80 with physician-diagnosed CMPA and 80 healthy controls) and their mothers participated in this case-control study. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire and were compared between the 2 groups.

Results: The most commonly consumed FDP were cheese, yogurt, and tarhana. The amounts of maternal yogurt, tarhana, and kefir consumed during pregnancy (P < .001, P < .001, and P = .04, respectively) in addition to yogurt and tarhana consumption during lactation (P < .001 and P = .001, respectively) were lower in toddlers with CMPA. The frequency of maternal consumption of yogurt, cheese, and tarhana during lactation (P = .001, P = .003, and P = .02, respectively) and the diversity of FDP were also lower in toddlers with CMPA (P = .001). At multivariate logistic regression analysis, maternal weight gain during pregnancy (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.18; P = .001), maternal age (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.09-1.31; P < .001), and gestational age at birth (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.03-1.48; P = .02) increased the odds of the baby having CMPA. The diversity of FDP consumed during lactation was protective against CMPA (OR, 0.439; 95% CI, 0.272-0.711; P = .001).

Conclusion: Weekly maternal consumption of FDP was low during pregnancy and lactation in toddlers with CMPA. Although the diversity of FDP consumed during lactation may reduce the risk of CMPA, this effect was not observed during pregnancy.