Epigenetic Modifications in Placenta are Associated with the Child’s Sensitization to Allergens

Table 1

Demographic data for the participating families and sensitization to allergens.

	Anthroposophic; N=25	Partly anthroposophic; N=105	Anthroposophic and partly anthroposophic; N=130	Non-anthroposophic; N=43
Parents
Mother’s age (years)	30 (23-32)	31 (28-34)	31 (27-34)	30 (28-33)	0.468
Mother sensitized to aeroallergens	5/25 (20%)	29/105 (28%)	34/130 (26%)	14/43 (33%)	0.537
Father sensitized to aeroallergens	8/23 (35%)	45/100 (45%)	53/123 (43%)	14/40 (35%)	0.473
Mother during pregnancy
Parity
First	7/25 (28%)	46/103 (45%)	53/128 (41%)	17/43 (40%)	0.971
Second	9/25 (36%)	40/103 (39%)	49/128 (38%)	18/43 (42%)	0.814
Third (fourth or fifth)	9/25 (36%)	17/103 (17%)	26/128 (20%)	8/43 (19%)	0.982
Child
Sex (female)	13/25 (52%)	52/105 (50%)	65/130 (50%)	28/43 (65%)	0.122
Birth weight (g)	3550; (3355-3760)	3585; (3345-3950)	3568; (3348-3939)	3510; (3312-4010)	0.648
Gestational age at birth (completed weeks)	40 (39-41)	40 (39-41)	40 (39-41)	39 (38-40)	0.009
Child sensitized to
Food allergens at (Girls n/N; Boys n/N % p)
6 mo (4/70 5.7; 6/63 9.5 p=0.52)	0/16 (0%)	4/84 (5%)	4/100 (4%)	6/33 (18%)	0.022
12 mo (8/68 11.8; 10/59 16.9 p=0.45)	0/13 (0%)	9/77 (12%)	9/90 (10%)	9/37 (24%)	0.068
2 yrs (7/68 10.3; 13/62 21.0 p=0.14)	2/15 (13%)	9/79 (11%)	11/94 (12%)	9/36 (25%)	0.108
5 yrs (13/60 21.7; 8/52 15.4 p=0.47)	1/16 (6%)	10/69 (14%)	11/85 (13%)	10/27 (37%)	0.012
Aeroallergens at
6 mo (3/64 4.7; 0/53 0.0 p=0.25)	0/13 (0%)	2/72 (3%)	2/85 (2%)	1/32 (3%)	0.999
12 mo (2/65 3.1; 2/56 3.6 p=1.0)	0/12 (0%)	1/75 (1%)	1/87 (1%)	3/34 (9%)	0.120
2 yrs (3/68 4.4; 6/60 10.0 p=0.30)	0/15 (0%)	4/77 (5%)	4/92 (4%)	5/36 (14%)	0.130
5 yrs (11/61 18.0; 11/53 20.8 p=0.81)	1/16 (6%)	13/71 (18%)	14/87 (16%)	8/27 (30%)	0.201

Categorical variables: n/N yes/total number (%). Continuous variables: median (interquartile range).
p for comparisons of combined anthroposophic and partly anthroposophic versus nonanthroposophic lifestyle group and for girls vs boys regarding sensitization to allergens. Categorical variables: Fisher’s exact test; continuous variables: Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon rank-sum test.
Classified as sensitized if IgE level was ≥0.35 /L measured using Phadiatop™ (Thermo Fisher Scientific) a mix of 11 aeroallergens.
Classified as sensitized if IgE level was ≥0.35 /L for at least one of the three food allergens analyzed using ImmunoCAP™ (Thermo Fisher Scientific).
Classified as sensitized if IgE level was ≥0.35 /L for at least one of the six food allergens analyzed using a food mix, fx5, followed by separate ImmunoCAP™ tests (Thermo Fisher Scientific).
Classified as sensitized if IgE level was ≥0.35 /L for at least one of the four aeroallergens analyzed using ImmunoCap™ (Thermo Fisher Scientific).
Classified as sensitized if IgE level was ≥0.35 /L for at least one of the 9 aeroallergens analyzed using Phadiatop™ followed by separate ImmunoCAP™ tests (Thermo Fisher Scientific).