Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the US and worldwide.¹ Greater seafood consumption was shown to be associated with reduced all-cause and CVD-related mortality in previous prospective cohort studies.^2,3 The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend seafood consumption of at least 8 oz or 2 servings per week for adults.⁴ However, there is a concern about seafood consumption because it is a major source of mercury exposure in daily life.⁵ Although seafood is known to contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),⁶ many people choose to limit their seafood consumption because of fear of mercury exposure from seafood.⁷

Background: Previous studies have predominately examined associations of respiratory allergy and skin allergy with ADHD, but little is known about the association between food allergy and ADHD. Methods: We included 192,573 children aged 4–17 years from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a leading health survey in a nationally representative sample of the US population. Allergy conditions and ADHD were defined based on an affirmative response in the NHIS questionnaire. We used weighted logistic regression to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of ADHD. Results: Among the 192,573 children, 15,376 reported ADHD diagnosis. The prevalence of ADHD was higher among children with allergic conditions: 12.66% vs. 7.99% among children with and without food allergy; 12.16% vs. 7.63% among children with and without respiratory allergy; and 11.46% vs. 7.83% among children with and without skin allergy. After adjusting for covariates, the OR of ADHD was 1.72 (95% CI, 1.55–1.91) comparing children with and without food allergy, 1.50 (95% CI, 1.41–1.59) comparing children with and without respiratory allergy, and 1.65 (95% CI, 1.55–1.75) comparing children with and without skin allergy. The observed associations remained significant after mutual adjustment for other allergic conditions. Conclusions: In a nationally representative sample of US children, we found a significant association of common allergic conditions (food allergy, respiratory allergy, and skin allergy) with ADHD.

Pregnancy represents a critical window for both maternal and child health. Previous studies have shown that the consumption of an organic diet during pregnancy can reduce pesticide exposure compared with the consumption of a conventional diet. It is possible that this could, in turn, improve pregnancy outcomes, because maternal pesticide exposure during pregnancy has been associated with increased risk of pregnancy complications. Organic foods are produced by methods that comply with organic standards, generally restricting the use of agrochemicals, such as synthetic pesticides. In the past few decades, the global demand for organic foods has increased drastically, driven in large part by consumer beliefs that organic foods provide benefits to human health. However, the effects of organic food consumption during pregnancy on maternal and child health have not been established. This narrative review aims to summarize current evidence regarding the consumption of organic foods during pregnancy and the potential effects on short- and long-term health outcomes in mothers and offspring. We performed a comprehensive literature search and identified studies investigating the association between organic food consumption during pregnancy and health outcomes in mothers and their offspring. The outcomes identified from the literature search included pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, hypospadias, cryptorchidism, and otitis media. Although existing studies suggest that consumption of organic foods (overall or a specific kind) during pregnancy may have health benefits, further investigation to replicate the findings in other populations is needed. Moreover, because these previous studies have all been observational and thus may be limited by the potential for residual confounding and reverse causation, causal inference cannot be established. We argue that the next necessary step in this research is a randomized trial to test the efficacy of organic diet intervention in pregnancy on maternal and offspring health.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of persistent organic pollutants that represent a substantial environmental and human health concern.^1,2 Since the 1970s, PBDEs have been used as flame retardants in a wide array of consumer products, such as building materials, furnishings, and electronics.³ PBDEs enter the environment at sites of production, use, and disposal of PBDE-containing products. PBDEs strongly bind to sediments and soils because of their low water solubility and high lipophilicity.⁴ They degrade in the environment by debromination reactions, forming more toxic, lower brominated PBDE congeners.