Stress affects all aspects of life, and not only adults, but also babies, who suffer from experiences that make them alert or defensive.
A Swedish study just related the low stress levels with less allergies in babies. Recall that childhood allergies are one of the most common conditions in children in recent years, especially in developed countries.
Scientists from the Department of Clinical Research and Education at Stockholm South General Hospital have found that babies with low concentrations of cortisol, the stress hormone, in saliva are less likely to develop allergies during the first two months of life.
While allergies have a hereditary factor, they also have a strong environmental factor, and stress could be one of them. There are studies that relate family stress to asthma in children, as well as that the mother's stress in pregnancy predisposes to an increased risk of childhood asthma, which as you know is an allergic component respiratory condition.
The same research team found that those children who lead a "healthier" life, that is less stressful, have relatively low levels of cortisol, so it is believed that certain factors related to stress regulation could directly influence development of allergies in children.
Since the number of stressed babies is multiplying and allergy cases are increasing markedly, the relationship between stress and allergies in babies seems quite sensible. In any case, it will be necessary to see in what sense the investigations are progressing, and although it will not be the only reason, stress can be one of the causes linked to childhood allergies.
