Pre-school children who attend a day care have an increased risk of developing respiratory and other allergies. Researchers from the SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, Boras, examined the effect of day care attendance and age on respiratory and allergic diseases in children between the ages of 1 and 6 years. The parents of more than 10,800 children completed a detailed survey. Along with respiratory and allergy symptoms, questions were also focused on the home environment and information about day care. Children going to day care centres had more symptoms, including an increased risk of 33 percent for wheeze; 56 percent for cough at night; 23 percent for doctor diagnosed asthma; 15 percent for rhinitis; 75 percent for doctor diagnosed hay fever; 49 percent for eczema; and 27 percent for food allergy as compared with children in home care. The odds of having more than six colds in the last 12 months was increased by more than 3 fold and the risk for having an ear infection by more than 2 fold, among children attending the day care centre. The increased risks were most pronounced for the youngest group of children, especially those between the ages of 1 and 4 years. The findings suggest that children attending a day care centres have a higher risk of developing allergies.
Allergy,
May 2006