Abstract
Objectives
Colic and allergy symptoms are problems encountered in the exclusively-breastfed newborn and are thought to be triggered by inflammatory responses in the gut. Maternal diet, especially cow's milk intake, has been associated with infantile colic and allergies, but no study examined the effect of Mediterranean diet. Thus, this study aims to investigate whether maternal adherence to a dairy-free Mediterranean diet, known for is anti-inflammatory properties, reduces colic and allergy symptoms in exclusively-breastfed infants.
Methods
Exclusively breastfeeding healthy primiparous women were recruited during their pregnancy third trimester and were randomly assigned to receive an education on dairy-free Mediterranean diet or no education (control group). Mother-infant pairs were followed up for 2 months postpartum and adherence to the diet was confirmed through 24 hour recalls. Data on infant fussing & crying using validated “Daily Crying Diary” (Barr, et al., 1988) and allergy symptoms using validated CDC's “Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding Practices postnatal questionnaire” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017) were collected on weeks 2, 4 and 7 postpartum. Infant stool samples were also collected to test for blood, pH, and eosinophil cationic protein as estimates of the degree of inflammation in the gut.
Results
Preliminary data from 10 mother-infant pairs showed that there was no group differences in the weights of the mothers and infants and number of allergy symptoms throughout the study. Colic (defined by the “Wessel Criteria” as crying episodes that last for >3 hours per day, for ≥3 days per week and for ≥3 weeks) was not observed in any infant. Findings from “Daily Crying Diaries” revealed that maternal adherence to dairy-free Mediterranean diet was associated with significantly lower average daily crying compared to controls (0.28 vs. 1.10 hours/d) in infants. Results on infant stool blood, pH, and eosinophil cationic protein are still pending.
Conclusions
Maternal adherence to a dairy-free Mediterranean diet did not affect allergy symptoms but decreased fussing and crying in exclusively breastfed infants. Mechanisms of action still remain to be determined.
Funding Sources
Lebanese American University.