Respiratory allergy and month of birth

Abstract

A total of 476 patients with respiratory allergy were interviewed to establish whether the season of birth influenced the type of allergy experienced. Patients with perennial symptoms did not differ from the general population of the U.K. [United Kingdom] in the distribution of their months of birth. Patients with summer seasonal symptoms attributable to grass pollen sensitivity were more likely to have been born in Dec.-Feb. than in Aug.-Nov. This trend was most significant in female patients who did not have associated perennial symptoms and who developed symptoms early in life. Other significant differences were noted between groups of patients complaining of the same symptoms. More males than females had summer seasonal symptoms; more females than males had perennial symptoms. Patients who had perennial symptoms and summer seasonal exacerbations had a higher incidence of a positive family history of atopy and developed symptoms earlier in life than those patients who had summer seasonal or perennial symptoms only.