Eating nuts linked to childhood asthma

17 Jul 2008

Mums-to-be who eat nuts on a daily basis may increase their child's risk of developing asthma, researchers have shown.

Dutch scientists found that women who eat nuts every day could increase the risk of their unborn child developing the condition by 50 per cent.

Research published in a US journal suggested that allergens found in some nuts may cause an unborn child to be prone to asthma.

"It's important for pregnant women to eat healthily, and what is true for many foods is that too much is never good," said Dr Saskia Willers from the University of Utrecht.

A comparison of women who ate nuts on a daily basis during pregnancy to those who ate them 'rarely' showed an increased risk of the condition developing.

Other studies have shown that there is a strong hereditary link to asthma. However, it is still thought that environmental factors play a role.

The research also discovered lower rates of asthma in the children of mothers who had eaten more fruit during their pregnancy.

This follows an announcement last year that means that soon all women will be entitled to a year's maternity leave, as opposed to the current nine months.

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