Higher maternal intake of total dairy products, cheese, yogurt and calcium during pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk for infantile eczema, asthma and atopic eczema in children, according to study results.

Researchers in Japan studied 1,354 mother-child pairs (mean maternal age, 31.5 years) to determine the association between maternal consumption of dairy foods, calcium and vitamin D during pregnancy and childhood allergic disorders in children aged 23 to 29 months.

A diet history questionnaire was administered between April 2007 and March 2008 to determine maternal intake during pregnancy. International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood criteria defined wheeze and eczema, while a questionnaire completed by mothers determined physician-diagnosed asthma and atopic eczema.