Background: Animal studies indicate that alcohol exposure during pregnancy and lactation may influence immune system and lung development, with potential consequence for asthma and respiratory tract infections. Data in humans are few. Aim: To examine the associations between maternal alcohol intake during pregnancy and breastfeeding with current asthma at 36 months and recurrent lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) by 36 months Methods: This study included 49,138 children in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. Maternal alcohol intake and early childhood respiratory disorders were classified by questionnaires. Information was obtained on frequency of alcohol intake and number of drinks per time for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester, in addition to when the child was 0-3 months. Adjusted relative risks (RR) were estimated using Generalized Linear Models comparing women who reported alcohol intake to those reporting none. Results: Alcohol intake was reported by 31.8% of mothers in the 1st trimester, 9.7% of mothers in the 2nd trimester and 15.6% in the 3rd trimester. There was no increased risk of asthma in the child related to maternal alcohol intake during pregnancy - RRs were slightly below one for all metrics of intake. For LRTIs RRs were all close to one, with a few RRs slightly above one but without evidence of dose response. Among children exclusively breastfed, we examined maternal alcohol intake when the child was 0-3 months, and found no association with asthma or LRTIs. Conclusion: There was no consistent finding that modest alcohol intake during pregnancy or breastfeeding was positively associated with asthma or LRTIs. The inverse association between the low alcohol intake during pregnancy in our population and asthma is likely non-causal.
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