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Asthma and allergy: The early beginnings

Nature Medicine volume 16, pages 274–275 (2010)Cite this article

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The prevalence of allergic diseases has risen in recent decades1, with up to 300 million people worldwide now estimated to suffer from asthma. Although susceptibility for these conditions has a hereditary element, given this rapid increase, changes in our environment are clearly also important. Infancy has historically been highlighted as the period when the risk is greatest for developing allergies. Strachan, following observations relating to family size and birth order, first suggested that infection in childhood has a protective effect through infections acquired from contact with older siblings2.

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Figure 1: Allergy in utero.

Katie Vicari

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Catherine Hawrylowicz and Kimuli Ryanna are at King's College London, UK Medical Research Council and Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.,

    Catherine Hawrylowicz & Kimuli Ryanna

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  1. Catherine Hawrylowicz
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  2. Kimuli Ryanna
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Correspondence to Catherine Hawrylowicz or Kimuli Ryanna.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Hawrylowicz, C., Ryanna, K. Asthma and allergy: The early beginnings. Nat Med 16, 274–275 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0310-274

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