Early life nutrition could impact psoriasis risk

Key takeaways:

• Increased risk for psoriasis was found in subjects who were introduced to formula before age 4 months.
• Children who ate a lot of fish and drank a lot of milk also experienced an increased risk.

A higher risk for developing psoriasis was found in subjects who were fed formula as infants compared with those who were breastfed for at least the first 4 months of life, according to a Swedish study.

“Psoriasis is a common chronic autoimmune skin disease associated with systemic inflammation and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease,” Debojyoti Das, principal research engineer in the division of pediatrics at Linköping University, and colleagues wrote. “Nutrition in early life influences the risk for developing autoimmune diseases. In [type 1 diabetes], breastfeeding may have a protective effect, possibly by its effect on the development of the immune systems, as well as its influence on the gut microbiome.”

The All Babies in Southwest Sweden (ABIS) register asked parents of all children born between Oct. 1, 1997, to Oct. 1, 1999, to fill out a questionnaire including questions on nutrition, infections, psychosocial situation, living conditions and life events periodically from the child’s birth through age 13 years. The questionnaires were later matched with data from the Swedish National Patient Register (SNPR) to determine if psoriasis had been diagnosed.

Researchers found those who had been exclusively breastfed for fewer than 4 months had a higher risk for psoriasis (adjusted OR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.11-3.05) compared with those who were breastfed longer. Those who received vs. did not receive formula before 4 months also had a higher risk (OR = 1.88; 95% CI, 1.1-3.2).

Additionally, at the 3-year follow-up, researchers found children who ate more fish daily, especially from the Baltic Sea (OR = 9.61; 95% CI, 2.19-42.12), and for those who drank a large amount of daily milk (> 6 mL), the risk for psoriasis was also increased (OR = 2.53; 95% CI, 1.04-6.12).

“Nutrition early in life appears to have a significant effect on the risk for developing psoriasis many years later through to early adulthood,” the authors wrote. “Breastfeeding should be encouraged and facilitated, as the introduction of formula should be postponed until after 4 months of age.”