Birth Order May Affect Risk of Allergies

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First-born children may be more likely to develop certain types of allergies

than their younger brothers or sisters, a study suggests.

Researchers found the prevalence of several types of allergies, such as

allergic rhinitis (hay fever or seasonal allergies), allergic conjunctivitis

(eye inflammation due to allergies), and food allergy decreased as birth

order increased in a large group of Japanese schoolchildren.

For example, 4% of first-borns had some type of food allergy compared with

3.5% of second-borns and 2.6% of third-borns.

Researchers say it's the first study to show an effect of birth order on

food allergy.

*Benefit of Being the Youngest*

Researchers surveyed the parents of more than 13,000 schoolchildren in Japan

aged 7 to 15 about the prevalence of specific allergic diseases.

Based on the results, researchers calculated the prevalence of each allergic

disease based on birth order.

The results showed there was no significant difference in the prevalence of

asthma or atopic dermatitis (a type of eczema) according to birth order.

But the prevalence of allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and food

allergy decreased based on birth order -- from oldest to youngest.

“Individuals with increased birth order have a smaller risk of allergy, "

explained Takashi Kusunoki, MD, PhD, of the Shiga Medical Center for

Children in Moriyama, Japan, in a news release. " However, the significance

of the effect may differ by allergic diseases.”

Prenatal Origins of Allergies?

The study also showed that in infancy symptoms such as wheezing increased

and food allergies decreased as birth order increased.

Researchers say these findings suggest that food allergies may have their

origins in the prenatal period in the womb.

The results were presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of

Asthma, Allergy and Immunology in San Francisco.

This study was presented at a medical conference. The findings should be

considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the " peer review "

process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication

in a medical journal.

SOURCES: Found at www.medscape.com with that title

Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, San

Francisco, March 18-22, 2011.

News release, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

--

Ortiz, MS, RD

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