A recent study suggests that children with older siblings are less likely to need allergy and asthma medication, highlighting the potential protective effect of sibling exposure during the early years of life. This finding supports the microbiome hypothesis as a significant factor in preventing asthma and allergic conditions.
Conducted by the University of Helsinki and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), the research analyzed data from over half a million Finnish children born between 1995 and 2004.