A reformulation of the hygiene hypothesis: maternal infectious diseases confer protection against asthma in the infant
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A reformulation of the hygiene hypothesis : maternal infectious diseases confer protection against asthma in the infant. / Hersoug, Lars-Georg.
In: Medical Hypotheses, Vol. 67, No. 4, 2006, p. 717-20.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - A reformulation of the hygiene hypothesis
T2 - maternal infectious diseases confer protection against asthma in the infant
AU - Hersoug, Lars-Georg
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relationship between allergic respiratory diseases and the number of siblings. It was hypothesized that the lower prevalence of allergic respiratory diseases in large sibships was due to cross-infections between siblings. According to this hygiene hypothesis the increase in the prevalence of atopic diseases is caused by a decrease in the exposure to infections. It was believed that early infections were beneficial for health because of their contribution to the maturation of the immune system. However, in this interpretation a possible protective influence of the mother was overlooked. A new hypothesis is therefore proposed. Maternal exposure to infections induces immunological memory, which protects her children against allergic respiratory diseases.
AB - Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relationship between allergic respiratory diseases and the number of siblings. It was hypothesized that the lower prevalence of allergic respiratory diseases in large sibships was due to cross-infections between siblings. According to this hygiene hypothesis the increase in the prevalence of atopic diseases is caused by a decrease in the exposure to infections. It was believed that early infections were beneficial for health because of their contribution to the maturation of the immune system. However, in this interpretation a possible protective influence of the mother was overlooked. A new hypothesis is therefore proposed. Maternal exposure to infections induces immunological memory, which protects her children against allergic respiratory diseases.
KW - Asthma
KW - Communicable Diseases
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Hygiene
KW - Immunity, Maternally-Acquired
KW - Infant, Newborn
KW - Models, Immunological
KW - Pregnancy
KW - Pregnancy Complications, Infectious
U2 - 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.03.026
DO - 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.03.026
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 16716534
VL - 67
SP - 717
EP - 720
JO - Medical Hypotheses
JF - Medical Hypotheses
SN - 0306-9877
IS - 4
ER -
ID: 45422536