Asthma More Prevalent in US Children as per Tufts University Scientists

By Christopher Walker
Oct 26 2010

According to a report published on medicaldaily.com US children have a higher risk of falling prey to asthma according to a study by the scientists of Tufts University.

They have a higher risk because of the exposure to pests and low economic social status. These risks are faced by foreign-born children but they are not susceptible to this disease.  

This study has been conducted in continuance of a previous study which stated that the native country of a child had an effect on the risk of falling prey to the disease of asthma. The authors stated that since the sample size was large and they were able to conduct additional analysis on data.

The authors say that since foreign-born children are exposed to pathogens which are not found in the US helps them to develop immunity against asthma.

The vitamin D hypothesis and hygiene hypothesis may be able to explain the difference in the presence of asthma in children in the United States. When a child is exposed to sunlight to make vitamin D in the country of his origin he develops immunity against the disease.

Children from less developed countries are exposed to pathogens which help them develop immunity against asthma as shown by the hygiene hypothesis of the authors.

The study was conducted between a total of 962 children between the age group of four and eighteen years. The children belonged to the areas of Dorchester and Chinatown in Boston. The study was carried out by the Bruges group. The findings will be published in the Journal of Minority and Immigrant Health.