Are the caesarian section and birthweight associated with alergies?

Česká verzia

Authors: D. Hrubá ¹; L. Kukla ²; M. Tyrlík ³; H. Matějová ¹
Authors place of work: Ústav preventivního lékařství, LF MU Brno ¹; Ústav sociálního lékařství a veřejného zdravotnictví, oddělení preventivní a sociální pediatrie, LF MU Brno ²; Psychologický ústav, FF MU Brno ³
Published in the journal: Prakt Gyn 2009; 13(3): 134-136

Summary

Antenatal and perinatal factors (gestational age, birth weight, section caesarea) were described as potential determinants of children allergy. This publication analyses data obtained for a cohort of 6,335 children in the ELSPAC Study. At the third year of their age, 19.9% of them had one, 2.9% had two or more allergic diseases, and 77.2% had no allergic symptoms. In all three groups, the similar frequency of delivery by section caesarea has occured (8.5% in average) and also the lenght of gestational age was the same (mean: 39.7 weeks, s. d. 1.0–1.3; 95% CI 39.7–39.8). The highest frequency of atopic eczema, urtica and other non‑specified allergies has been found among the children with high birth weight (> 4,000 g) compared to groups of children with low and normal birth weight, but levels of differences were not significant. Diagnosis of allergic rhinitis and asthma was similarly frequent in all three groups. At the 18 months of children’s life, the prevalence of all allergies was the highest among those with normal birth weight (2,501–4,000 g, p < 0.05), the lowest among children with the low birth weight (< 2,500 g). In the ELSPAC children, the possible associations between high birth weight and allergies in childhood were foreshadowed.

Key words:
allergy – gestational age – birth weight – caesarean section

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