Moms-to-be, take note! Eating foods rich in a type of vitamin B – such as fish, meat, chicken and mushrooms – during pregnancy may lower the risk of your child developing eczema, a condition that causes the skin to become dry and itchy, a new study has found. The study from the University of Southampton in the UK is the first to link maternal serum levels of nicotinamide, a naturally occurring vitamin, and related metabolites to the risk of atopic eczema in the child.

The researchers believe the findings support the concept that eczema partly originates as a baby develops in the womb and could show ways to reduce the risk of the skin condition. “Nicotinamide cream has been used in the treatment of eczema but the link between the mother’s levels of nicotinamide during pregnancy and the offspring’s risk of atopic eczema has not been previously studied,” said Sarah El-Heis, from the University of Southampton. “The findings point to potentially modifiable influences on this common and distressing condition,” said El-Heis.

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