NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Daily consumption ofnut products during pregnancy increases the risk of childhoodsymptoms of asthma, according to research findings.

The diet of a pregnant woman “has the potential to affect airwaydevelopment” of the developing fetus in a manner that “mightincrease the risk of developing childhood asthma or allergy,”Saskia M. Willers, of Utrecht University, the Netherlands, andcolleagues explain in a report in the American Journal ofRespiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

In a study, 4146 pregnant women provided information on howoften they ate fruit, vegetables, fish, egg, milk, milk products,nuts, and nut products during the last month of pregnancy. Theresearchers then followed the women’s children for 8 years,analyzing associations between maternal diet during pregnancy andasthma outcomes.