Boston, Dec 8 (PTI) Children between the ages of sevenand nine may be at greater risk for developing asthma if theirmothers drank a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages duringpregnancy, according to a study.
"Previous studies have linked intake of high fructosecorn syrup sweetened beverages with asthma in children, butthere is little information about when during earlydevelopment exposure to fructose might influence laterhealth," said Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman, from the Harvard MedicalSchool in the US.
After their first and second trimesters, mothers whoparticipated in the study completed questionnaires about theirfood and beverage consumption, including regular soda andfruit drinks.
When their children reached early childhood (3.3 years),the mothers completed another questionnaire to report theirchildren's consumption of a variety of foods and beverages,including regular sodas and fruit drinks.
Based on these responses, the researchers computedfructose intake and analysed results based on quartiles ofsugar-sweetened beverage and fructose consumption.
The study, published in the journal Annals of theAmerican Thoracic Society, found that in mid-childhood, 19 percent of the children had asthma.
According to the findings, mothers in the highestquartile of sugar-sweetened beverage and fructose consumptionduring pregnancy were 63 per cent and 61 per cent more likelyto have mid-childhood-age kids with asthma.
"Avoiding high intake of sugary beverages duringpregnancy and in early childhood could be one of several waysto reduce the risk of childhood asthma," Rifas-Shiman said.
PTI SNE SARSNE.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.