Global associations of maternal hypertensive disorders and offspring allergic disease burden

Abstract

AbstractObjectivesMaternal hypertensive disorders (MHD) are widespread globally, modifying maternal and fetal immunity, and have been linked to increased allergic diseases in offsprings. Nevertheless, so far, most studies in this field are small-scale and results remain inconclusive.MethodsHarnessing unprecedented global allergic disease and pregnancy data covering more than 150 countries from 1990 to 2019 as proxies, we leveraged the state-of-the-art generalized additive model (GAM) to interrogate the potential link between MHD and common offspring allergic diseases, exemplified by atopic dermatitis (AD) and asthma.ResultsA model considering the main effects from MHD, socioeconomic factor like GDP and time, as well as their interactions was favoured, suggesting their interactive effects on offspring allergic diseases. Generally, MHD in pregnancies were associated with increased AD and asthma in offsprings early in life, and a more pronounced effect was found for AD relative to asthma.ConclusionsGlobally, MHD in pregnancies are linked to increased offspring allergic disease burden, which, with further in-depth investigations, would inform allergic disease preventions in clinic. Our analyses also support the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHAD) concept and showcase a novel methodology for DOHAD-related research.