First Born Children Have More Hay Fever And Food Allergies

A Japanese study presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, held in San Francisco, suggests that birth order can impact the risk of specific allergies in children. The researchers surveyed the parents of over 13,000 children and found that firstborn children are more likely to have hay fever (allergic rhinitis) and food allergies. In fact, the investigators found that the prevalence of food allergy was 4% among firstborn children, 3.5% among second-born children and 2.6% in children born subsequently. However, they noted that birth order did not affect the prevalence of diseases such as asthma and eczema. [via DoctorsLounge]

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