If women eat low fat yoghurt during pregnancy they could be putting their unborn child at risk. Recent reports have suggested that babies born of women who ate low fat yoghurt during pregnancy are more likely to develop asthma and hayfever (allergic rhinitis).

The findings were presented at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress. They were looking at whether fatty acids found in some dairy products could protect against the development of allergic diseases in children.

70,000 Danish women and their eating habits were analysed and then they were followed and tested until the children were seven years old. The researchers assessed milk and dairy intake during pregnancy and monitored the occurance of asthma and hayfever in the children.

Results demonstrated that milk intake during pregnancy was not associated with increased risk of developing asthma. In fact, it actively protected against asthma development.

What did show up was the fact that women who ate low-fat yoghurt with fruit once a day were 1.6-times more likely to have children who developed asthma by age 7. These findings are compared to those women who reported no intake during their pregnancy.

The reasoning behind the findings suggest that non-fat related nutrients in yoghurt could in fact contribute to increasing the risk.

Children generally love dried fruits such as apricot, apple, pear and raisins, and they make a great snack, helping kids consume their '5-a-day', but be aware that many dried fruits contain high levels of sulphites which could be detrimental to their health.  Sulphites (or sulfites) are commonly used on dried fruits to preserver them.  You can't detect them, but if they have been used then the list of ingredients should state this fact.

Sulphites can cause breathing difficulty soon after consumption and you should be especially careful with young children who suffer asthma and who may be more acutely affected by sulphites.  Whilst we don't suggest that you don't give dried fruit to children, it is good to be aware of symptoms should a reaction occur.  You may also want to shop specifically for 'preservative free' dried fruits - inspect the labels for such products.