September 2, 2006
M IS FOR THE MILLION THINGS SHE GAVE ME
Asthma link to mother's poor diet (Celia Hall, The Telegraph, September 2nd, 2006)
Children are more likely to develop asthma if their mothers had a diet low in vitamin E during pregnancy, researchers said yesterday.Vitamin E is found primarily in vegetable oils, margarine, sunflower seeds, almonds, dark green and leafy vegetables, whole-grain cereals, liver, egg yolk and butter.
It is possible that changes in diet over the past two generations, with a rise in eating refined foods, could be linked to the increase in child asthma.
The children of mothers in the group using less vitamin E were much more likely to develop both asthma and to have worse lung function, independent of allergy.
Any child contemplating a career in science should be advised of the limitless career potential for those who build on maternal guilt.
Maybe we can make mothers feel guilty for not cleaning their houses.
The link between roach poop and asthma has been established as well.
Posted by: Bruno at September 2, 2006 3:33 PMI thought it was established that asthma was an auto-immune disorder caused by keeping our houses too clean. A little dirt and filth in the first couple of years gives the immune system somethng to recognize and fight against, otherwise it starts to fight with itself.
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at September 2, 2006 5:50 PMOver the past couple of generations, new mothers were also encouraged, even pressured, to nurse their babies. This may also contribute to increased asthma because nursing mothers must be scrupulous about their diet and if they aren't, their babies can suffer. Perhaps most babies are better off with a standard infant formula in a bottle instead relying on modern American girls to eat the right kinds of foods in the quantities needed for a baby to thrive. A quick google shows that prenatal vitamins contain vitamin E.
Mothers can be made to feel guilty about almost anything. It doesn't take much effort, in fact, you might even say, it's child's play. However, almost anything doesn't include vermin control. That's clearly daddy's job.
Has there been a decline in vitamin E consumption?
Posted by: Joseph Hertzlinger at September 3, 2006 2:15 AM