(NaturalNews) Children delivered by cesarean section (c-section) are significantly more likely to develop asthma and allergies later in life than children delivered through natural, vaginal birth, according to a study conducted by researchers from National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
A c-section is a procedure in which a child is surgically removed through a mother's abdomen, rather than emerging naturally through the vaginal opening. It is medically recommended only in cases where vaginal delivery would seriously endanger the life of infant or mother, but is becoming more common as many women's preferred method of childbirth.
Researchers compared the rates of asthma and allergies among 2,917 eight-year-olds, comparing the rates between those who had been delivered vaginally and those who had been delivered by c-section. They found that the risk of asthma was 79 percent higher in those delivered by c-section compared with those delivered vaginally. The correlation between c-section and asthma risk was even higher among children born to one or more parents with allergies.
"Our results emphasize the importance of gene-environment interactions on the development of asthma in children," the researchers wrote. "The increased rate of cesarean section is partly due to maternal demand without medical reason. In this situation, the mother should be informed of the risk of asthma for her child, especially when the parents have a history of allergy or asthma."
C-section is already known to raise a child's risk of diabetes by 20 percent, compared with vaginal delivery. In spite of this known health risk, rates of the procedure have been steadily rising in the United States over the last 25 years, increasing by 46 percent since 1985 to a current level of more than 30 percent of all births.
Childhood asthma rates have also been on the rise, particularly among urban populations, with rates increasing by two to four times in the last 30 years in some countries.
Sources for this story include: www.reuters.com.
Showing posts with label asthma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asthma. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Friday, September 12, 2008
Acid Blockers for Mom During Pregnancy Increase Baby's Risk of Asthma
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/852571020057CCF6852574160040B0AA
Acid Blockers for Mom During Pregnancy Increase Baby's Risk of Asthma: Presented at AAAAI
By Em Brown, BSN
PHILADELPHIA -- March 24, 2008
-- Taking acid-blocking medications for heartburn associated with pregnancy increases the baby's risk of developing asthma by more than 50%, according to findings presented here at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting. Elizabeth Yen, MD, Attending Physician, Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital Boston, and Instructor of Pediatrics, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, presented the findings during a late-breaking clinical trials session on March 18. Dr. Yen and colleagues retrospectively analyzed data from 3 national Swedish healthcare registries, including the Medical Birth Register covering the years 1995 to 2004, the Hospital Discharge Register for the years 1995 to 2006, and the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register for 2005 to 2006. Results of the analysis showed that maternal intake of acid-blocking medication, regardless of type, was associated with an increased odds ratio of 1.51 for asthma in a mother's infant, Dr. Yen said. "This was seen with asthma only," Dr. Yen told meeting attendees. There was no increase in risk of other allergic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, food allergies, allergic rhinitis, or "unspecific allergic reactions or anaphylaxis." "This effect was preserved irrespective of the type of acid-blocking drug, time of exposure during pregnancy, and maternal history of allergy," Dr. Yen said. "This provides the first evidence of a novel potential risk factor for the development of allergic diseases in children," she concluded.Funding for Dr. Yen's study was provided by Children's Hospital Boston.
[Presentation title: Acid Blocking Therapy During Pregnancy Increases the Odds For Childhood Asthma. Poster L13]
Acid Blockers for Mom During Pregnancy Increase Baby's Risk of Asthma: Presented at AAAAI
By Em Brown, BSN
PHILADELPHIA -- March 24, 2008
-- Taking acid-blocking medications for heartburn associated with pregnancy increases the baby's risk of developing asthma by more than 50%, according to findings presented here at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting. Elizabeth Yen, MD, Attending Physician, Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital Boston, and Instructor of Pediatrics, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, presented the findings during a late-breaking clinical trials session on March 18. Dr. Yen and colleagues retrospectively analyzed data from 3 national Swedish healthcare registries, including the Medical Birth Register covering the years 1995 to 2004, the Hospital Discharge Register for the years 1995 to 2006, and the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register for 2005 to 2006. Results of the analysis showed that maternal intake of acid-blocking medication, regardless of type, was associated with an increased odds ratio of 1.51 for asthma in a mother's infant, Dr. Yen said. "This was seen with asthma only," Dr. Yen told meeting attendees. There was no increase in risk of other allergic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, food allergies, allergic rhinitis, or "unspecific allergic reactions or anaphylaxis." "This effect was preserved irrespective of the type of acid-blocking drug, time of exposure during pregnancy, and maternal history of allergy," Dr. Yen said. "This provides the first evidence of a novel potential risk factor for the development of allergic diseases in children," she concluded.Funding for Dr. Yen's study was provided by Children's Hospital Boston.
[Presentation title: Acid Blocking Therapy During Pregnancy Increases the Odds For Childhood Asthma. Poster L13]
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