An apple a day may make all the difference for pregnant woman because it may protect children from asthma, according to Dutch and Scottish researchers.
The study tracked dietary intake of nearly 2,000 pregnant women, then examined the effects of the maternal diet on airway development in more than 1,200 of their children five years later.
The children of mothers who ate apples had a significantly reduced risk for the development of asthma and childhood wheezing, said researchers at Aberdeen University.
The findings suggest an apple specific effect, possibly because of its phytochemical content, such as flavonoids.
Researchers also found that children of mothers who ate fish had a lowered incidence of doctor-confirmed eczema.
The findings are published in the journal Thorax.