Blood from a baby's umbilical cord could help doctors predict which children will suffer from allergies and asthma later in their lives, British and American scientists said.

The researchers found that levels of allergy antibodies in the cord blood could be a more important indicator of allergy risk than exposure to allergens such as pollen, pet hair and dust mites.

"These findings support the importance of prenatal conditioning in the development of allergy later in life," said Dr Hasan Arshad, of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, in research published in the international journal of respiratory medicine, Thorax.

The scientists studied more than 1,300 children up to the age of 10 and monitored their allergies.

Children who had high levels of IgE, an immune system response indicating sensitization to allergens in their umbilical cord blood, were twice as likely to develop an allergy and 66 percent more susceptible to asthma.

"This research indicates that umbilical cord blood may hold valuable clues as to why one in five children in the UK have asthma and one in three adults are developing an allergy," said Professor Andrew Peacock, of the British Thoracic Society, in a statement.

Arshad said the finding could have an effect on measures pregnant mothers could take to prevent allergies and asthma in their child.

"Further research should be directed toward identifying these environmental influences that can affect the developing fetal immune system," he said.

Reference Source 101
October 29, 2004

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