C-section children have higher asthma risk

January 16, 2012 (WLS) -- Children born by cesarean section appear to have a slightly higher asthma risk by age 3, new research in the American Journal of Epidemiology finds.

The risk was highest among those whose mothers did not have allergies.

Scientists say it is unlikely that a C-section itself would cause an increased risk of asthma, rather that children delivered this way may have an underlying vulnerability.

Possible reasons could be an altered bacterial flora in their intestine that affects their immune system development, or the fact that these children are more likely to have serious respiratory problems during their first weeks of life.

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healthbeat, sylvia perez

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