Childhood environment and adult atopy: Results from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey

Subjects from large families with brothers, shared bedrooms, and dogs in childhood were less often atopic as adults, consistent with the hypothesis that infectious agents could inhibit development of atopy during childhood.

Abstract

Subjects from large families with brothers, shared bedrooms, and dogs in childhood were less often atopic as adults. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that infectious agents could inhibit development of atopy during childhood. However, in subjects with a strong genetic predisposition, environmental factors in childhood are possibly of less importance.