A great deal of attention has been focused on adverse effects of tobacco smoking on conception, pregnancy, fetal, and child health. The aim of this paper is to discuss the current evidence regarding short and long-term health effects on child health of parental smoking during pregnancy and lactation and the potential underlying mechanisms. Studies were searched on MEDLINE® and Cochrane database inserting, individually and using the Boolean ANDs and ORs, ‘pregnancy’, ‘human lactation’, ‘fetal growth’, ‘metabolic outcomes’, ‘obesity’, ‘cardiovascular outcomes’, ‘blood pressure’, ‘brain development’, ‘respiratory outcomes’, ‘maternal or paternal or parental tobacco smoking’, ‘nicotine’. Publications coming from the reference list of studies were also considered from MEDLINE. All sources were retrieved between 2015-01-03 and 2015-31-05. There is overall consistency in literature about negative effects of fetal and postnatal exposure to parental tobacco smoking on several outcomes: preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, neurodevelopmental and behavioral problems, obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, impaired lung function, asthma and wheezing. While maternal smoking during pregnancy plays a major role on adverse postnatal outcomes, it may also cumulate negatively with smoking during lactation and with second-hand smoking exposure. Although this review was not strictly designed as a systematic review and the PRISMA Statement was not fully applied it may benefit the reader with a promptly and friendly readable update of the matter. This review strengthens the need to plan population health policies aimed to implement educational programs to hopefully minimize tobacco smoke exposure during pregnancy and lactation.

Providing a high-quality forum for the global dissemination of research in allergy, asthma and clinical immunology, the World Allergy Organization Journal is the official publication of the World Allergy Organization. As an open access platform publishing cutting-edge basic, clinical and translational research, the journal offers fast and rigorous peer review led by an international Editorial Board, and is dedicated to expanding our understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases.

Cow’s milk and dairy are commonly consumed foods in the human diet and contribute to maintaining a healthy nutritional state, providing unique sources of energy, calcium, protein, and vitamins, especially during early childhood. Milk formula is usually made from cow’s milk and represents the first food introduced into an infant’s diet when breastfeeding is either not possible or insufficient to cover nutritional needs. Very recently, increased awareness of cow’s milk protein allergy and intolerance, and higher preference to vegan dietary habits have influenced parents towards frequently choosing cows’ milk substitutes for children, comprising other mammalian milk types and plant-based milk beverages. However, many of these milk alternatives do not necessarily address the nutritional requirements of infants and children. There is a strong need to promote awareness about qualitative and quantitative nutritional compositions of different milk formulas, in order to guide parents and medical providers selecting the best option for children. In this article, we sought to review the different compositions in terms of macronutrients and micronutrients of milk from different mammalian species, including special milk formulas indicated for cow’s milk allergy, and of plant-based milk alternatives.