Stress During Childhood Linked to Increased Allergy Risks

Filed in archive Allergy: Research and Development , Asthma , Living with Allergies on September 2, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Rhienna Cutler

That stress can aggravate allergies among children is something that has already been documented. But how? And how stressful must an even be to have an effect?

German researchers addressed these questions, and report intriguing findings. The investigations are based on data from 6-year old children from the LISA (Lifestyle - Immune System - Allergy), which investigates the influences of lifestyles on the immune system development in early childhood and the emergence of allergies.

Blood samples from 234 children showed increased blood concentrations of the stress-related peptide VIP (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide) as well as an increased concentration of immune markers related to the occurrence of allergic reactions such as cytokine IL-4, in connection with moving house or the separation of parents. However, such changes were not observed in other stressful situations such as death in the family, or unemployment of parents. The researchers believe these situations are less significant to have a measurable impact on the immune system.

Read the full report here.