child with asthma

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Allergies are partly due to genetic predisposition but also to environment. A few surprising factors that can reduce the odds of your child developing allergies or asthma …

• A recent Swedish study has found that youngsters who eat off dishes scrubbed by hand rather than cleaned in a dishwasher are significantly less likely to have allergies.
• Having older siblings has been shown to protect against the development of allergies in the first year of life. Why? They help create an immune-boosting microbial ‘soup’ in the home.
• Children born in the countryside are less likely to develop allergies than those raised in cities, because country kids are exposed to a wide variety of microbes.
• Babies born by caesarean are 5 times more likely to develop allergies by the age of 2 than those born naturally.
• Children under 5 are 50% more likely to have food allergies if born in Autumn or Winter, rather than Spring or Summer. It may be due to a lower level of vitamin D exposure.
• Sedentary lifestyles in front of screens are linked to obesity, which is a risk factor for asthma.
• Expectant women often avoid eating nuts and eggs, even if they are craving them, for fear of making their child allergic. The exact opposite seems to be the case, according to experts.
• Eating fermented foods such as pickles and sauerkraut (which contain healthy bacteria) may offer allergy protection, according to recent research from Sweden’s University of Gothenburg.