According to Dr. Kathy Gatford from the University of Alberta in Canada, 30 to 40 percent of the population of the world are estimated to suffer from diseases that are caused by allergies – such as eczema, hay fever, asthma, food allergies, and anaphylaxis. For this reason, researchers are looking into the causes of allergic diseases. They want to know if there are environmental factors at play, or if allergies are genetic in nature.
Here at Premier Allergy and Asthma, parents want to know how to keep their children allergy-free. Right now, the state of the research on allergies is that the entire picture of how children develop allergies is not fully known, but there are some indications from current research.
One avenue that researchers are pursuing is to see if the birth weight of babies has an effect upon their later incidence of allergies.
Current Research in the United States
In the U.S., there are 50 million people who are allergy sufferers. Researchers are concerned about the increase in food allergies in our country and the large numbers of babies that are born with low birth weight. They wonder if there is a relationship between the babies born in less than ideal conditions and a later incidence of allergies.
In a study reported in the U.S. National Library of Medicine that used data from the National Health Interview Survey, found that there was no relationship that spanned age levels between those with low birth weight and later incidence of allergies. There was, though, a correlation between children who were from six to 12 years of age and food allergies. Those children who were born with lower birth weight were more likely to experience food allergies between the ages of six and 12.
Relevant Canadian Research
In a study by researchers at the University of Manitoba, researchers were also concerned about low birth weight babies and their later incidence of allergies. It is known that babies who are either born with low birth weight or who are premature are more likely to have increased gut permeability.
The researchers used records of all children born in the Manitoba Province of Canada in 1995 and followed the children until 2002. The researchers wanted to see if the lower birth weight or preemie babies were more likely to develop allergies. In this study that followed the children only until they were seven years of age, there was no correlation between low birth weight and the incidence of allergies.
At Premier Allergy, we would have liked to see the Canadian study follow the children a bit longer, as in the U.S. study, to see if there was a similar incidence of allergies for the low birth weight children from the ages of six to 12 years of age, as in the U.S. study.
The researchers in the Canadian study wondered in their conclusion whether exposure to food allergens helped to protect the premature and low birth weight children.
What Researchers Do Know
In the U.S., we have more children born with low birth weight, and we have a higher rate of allergies throughout the country.
Preemies and children who are born with a low birth weight have more gut permeability.
There is a correlation between children aged six to 12 and an increased incidence of allergies if they were born with lower birth weight.
What Appears to Be True
According to Dr. Gatford at the University of Manitoba, researchers are realizing that genetics cannot fully explain which people are more likely to become allergy sufferers later in life. At Premier Allergy, it is clear to us that allergies can either be genetically or environmentally predisposed.
If you or your children suffer from allergies, we at Premier Allergy and Asthma have both traditional shorter-term solutions to your allergies as well as newer techniques that can provide permanent allergy relief. We stay abreast of all of the current research in our field. Call us to set an appointment
