Children born through a cesarean delivery have higher odds of being hospitalized for allergies during the first 13 years of their life, suggests a new study. 

The study provides additional evidence to suggest that the type of delivery can have a long-term impact on the immune system. Investigators retrospectively assessed 954,754 children born at full term in hospitals in Quebec, between 2006 and 2019. Overall, 23% were born by cesarean delivery, and 10% by operative vaginal delivery. The remaining children were born vaginally without any operative assistance.

Hospitalizations for allergy were noted in 2.9% of the children born by cesarean or operative vaginal delivery compared to 2.6% of those born vaginally without operative assistance. After adjustment for confounders, children born by cesarean section had a higher likelihood of being hospitalized for any allergy compared to those born vaginally without operative assistance (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.13). Children born vaginally with operative assistance also had a higher likelihood of hospitalization for allergy (HR = 1.09). The findings are published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology… (Medscape)