Nursery World - Calm babies less likely to develop allergies

Babies with low levels of stress are less likely to develop allergies as toddlers, according to new research.

A team of researchers from the Karolinska Instiutet in Sweden analysed data from the ALADDIN birth cohort study of 300 children from families with an ‘anthroposophic’ attitude to life - that is, those that opt for a natural way of life, without vaccinations and restricted use medicines - and a ‘non-anthroposophic lifestyle’.

As part of the study, children and their parents were interviewed and samples taken, including saliva samples to measure the level of the stress hormone cortisol in babies at six months of age.

The findings revealed that the babies with low concentrations of the cortisol in their saliva developed fewer allergies than children with high levels of the stress hormone during their first two years of life.

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