Allergy research findings reported in 2004

AORN Journal,  Jan, 2005  

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Great strides are being made in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies and asthma, according to a Dec 8, 2004, news release from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI). The release summarizes three important research studies that were published in AAAAI's Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology in 2004.

One study found that having an early infection can be beneficial later in life. Researchers found that children who contracted a fever before age one were less likely to develop allergies by ages six and seven. The researchers also found that each fever occurrence in the first year reduced the odds of a child developing allergies in later life. Fever was common in the first year of life, affecting 46.9% of the children in the study.

A second study found that exposure to dogs in the first year of life enhances immune system development, which reduces allergic sensitization and atopic dermatitis. Exposure to dogs also enhanced the production of interleukin-10, an immune system hormone with potent anti-inflammatory properties, which could be responsible for lowering the risk of developing allergies.

A third study found that breast-feeding reduced the risk of asthma in children in the first four years of life. In a study of more than 4,000 children, those who were breast-fed exclusively in the first four months of life were found to have a lower risk of asthma.

The Year in Allergy: Advances in Allergic Disease Research Strong in 2004 (news release, Milwaukee: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Dec 8, 2004) http://www.aaaai.org/media/news_releases/2004/12/120804.stm (accessed 8 Dec 2004).

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