Farm Children Have Fewer Allergies
SWEDEN – Women and children spending time on dairy farms may be reaping major health benefits, research from the University of Gothenburg suggests.
16 July 2014
1 minute read
According to Science Daily, children living on dairies run the risk of allergies by one-tenth of their rural neighbours.
The study found that pregnant women can promote maturation of fetal and neonatal immune systems through time on spent on dairy farms.
The study, undertaken by Sahlgrenksa Academy, monitored children until three years old to track immune system and allergies, half of which were from dairy farms.
Researcher Anna Carin Lundell said: "Our study also demonstrated for the first time that delayed maturation of the immune system, specifically B-cells, is a risk factor for development of allergies.”
However, she stated the need for further studies, looking into allergies through pregnancy.
Work on the correlation of B-cells maturation during the neonatal period and the risk of subsequent allergy development is in the pipeline, with studies to look at children as they turn eight years old.
"We need to identify the specific factors on dairy farms that strengthen protection against allergies and appear to promote maturation of the immune system as early as the fetal stage."
TheCattleSite News Desk
