I thought the following was very interesting - in that we are always wondering why 2 children, both breastfed the same length of time and in the same manner, may have very different vulnerabilities to allergies.  

"Researchers have long noted that firstborn children or those who have few siblings are more likely to have asthma and allergies than those with many siblings. The "hygiene hypothesis" suggests that children with many siblings are exposed to a large variety of germs early on and may develop stronger immune systems. Now a study of 1,000 children born on the Isle of Wight in Great Britain finds that the sibling effect may have its origin in utero. They tested IgE antibodies in the children's cord blood; twice the number of firstborn children had high levels of IgE compared with children born later. When tested at age 4, the children with higher levels of IgE in their cord blood were more likely to have allergic reactions affecting their skin. This occurred regardless of whether they were firstborns or children born later.

- American Journal of Epidemiology, 2001 (154): 909-915

Janice Reynolds

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