Hygiena 2009, 54(4):112-116

"The Hygiene Hypothesis" and Allergic Diseases among Children Aged 3 Years ELSPAC Study Results

Drahoslava Hrubá¹, Lubomír Kukla², Mojmír Tyrlík³, Halina Matějová¹

¹ Ústav preventivního lékařství, Lékařská fakulta MU, Brno

² Výzkumné pracoviště preventivní a sociální pediatrie, Lékařská fakulta MU v Brně

³ Psychologický ústav, Filozofická fakulta MU v Brně

The "Hygiene hypothesis" proposes an explanation for the rising prevalence of allergic diseases through improved care early in life. Reduced exposure to infectious agents can deprive the immune system of maturation and support the survival of the fetal-type Th₁/Th₂ ratio.
In the ELSPAC study, children aged 3 years were divided into 3 groups according to absence/presence of allergic diseases (atopy, urtica, hay fever, asthma, others): non-allergic (NA), monoallergic (A1), polyallergic (A2+). Possible risk factors were evaluated: living in a large family, breast feeding, exposure to smoking, postnatal morbidity, vaccination, contact with animals, attending day care. Statistical significance was tested by the SPSS programme (Pearson χ² test, likelihood ratio, linear-by-linear association, ANOVA).
Our results did not confirm the "hygiene hypothesis": the family size, contact with animals, attending day care, exposure to passive smoking, length of breast feeding and vaccination were similarly prevalent in all child groups. On the other hand, respiratory morbidity and use of antibiotics were significantly higher in the groups of allergic children, both after birth, and during their 2nd and 3rd years of age.

Keywords: infants, allergy, morbidity, hygiene hypothesis

Received: April 2009; Accepted: September 1, 2009; Published: December 1, 2009  Show citation