Association between maternal anemia during pregnancy and risk of eczema in early childhood: A cohort study in Japan

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence on the association between maternal anemia during pregnancy and the risk of childhood allergic disorders, with regards to atopic eczema. The current pre-birth cohort study aimed to examine the association between maternal anemia during pregnancy and the risk of atopic eczema in Japanese 2-year-olds. METHODS: The study included 1354 Japanese mother-child pairs. Maternal anemia during pregnancy was determined based on self-reported iron treatment for anemia during pregnancy. Eczema was defined according to the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Physician-diagnosed atopic eczema was evaluated through a questionnaire completed by the mothers. RESULTS: The prevalence of maternal anemia during pregnancy was 52.8%. The study found that maternal anemia during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of physician-diagnosed atopic eczema in children; with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.79 and a 95% confidence interval of 1.04-3.17. However, there was no observed association between maternal anemia during pregnancy and the risk of eczema as defined by the ISAAC criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Although the study relied on self-reported information, it suggested a potential positive association between maternal anemia during pregnancy and the risk of atopic eczema in children.