Pregnant women are being encouraged to eat more grains nuts and cereal, or risk their children being born with asthma.

Scientists at the University of Aberdeen say they have discovered a link between what mums-to-be eat and the respiratory condition's rise in Britain.

Professor Graham Devereux said: "Our work has shown that those who have a diet that is low in foods containing vitamin E - some examples are grains, nuts and cereals - are more likely to have kids who have asthma.

"We have found evidence that a maternal diet low in vitamin E affects the way the babies' lungs developed and how the immune system responded to allergens."

Levels of asthma in the UK have increased considerable in the last forty years.

In the 1960s around four percent of children had the condition, now it is around 25%, with around one million affected.

Professor Devereux said: "The food we eat nowadays is completely different. We used to eat food that was in season that was locally produced and prepared ourselves.

"Now we eat food regardless of the seasons that may have travelled thousands of miles to get to our plate. It is more processed and there is evidence that the nutrient content has also changed."

The university findings follow an observational study of pregnant women in the north east of Scotland between 1997 and 1998.

Researchers then followed up the health of their babies at the ages of one, two, five and 10.