The following Swedish research study comparing the rate of bronchial asthma, allergies, dermatitis and other atopic diseases among Waldorf school pupils and pupils in public schools originally appeared in the May 1, 1999, edition of the British medical journal, The Lancet. We reprint it here with permission of The Lancet.The findings indicate that Waldorf/Steiner school pupils were "at a significantly lower risk of atopy" than children attending public schools. The researchers investigated a variety of factors in the lives of the Steiner school pupils which might have contributed to this lower rate of atopy-breastfeeding, lack of immunization, avoidance of antibiotics and medications which reduce fevers, consumption of bio-dynamic and organic foods, and other physical aspects of the children's lives. The researchers called these "anthroposophic lifestyle characteristics" and quantified them as "Steiner units," which they found "generally difficult to interpret."The study did not attempt in any way to explore the effects of Waldorf education itself on the health and immunity from atopic disease of the children attending Steiner schools. Rudolf Steiner often emphasized the significance of education for the life forces of the developing child, not only during childhood but also as a basis for later health and illness; recent Research Bulletin articles as well as research consultations and their proceedings* have focused on this relationship.Further research is needed to explore the effects not only of the physical surroundings of the child (nutrition, immunizations, medications, etc.) but also the effects of the education itself, including such qualitative aspects as the role of the imagination, the arts, rhythm, speech and movement on the physiological processes of the body and the prevention of illness. Readers may also be interested SummaryBackground: Increased prevalence of atopic disorders in children may be associated with changes in types of childhood infections, vaccination programmes, and intestinal microflora. People who follow an anthroposophic way of life use antibiotics restrictively, have few vaccinations, and their diet usually contains live lactobacilli, which may affect the intestinal microflora. We aimed to study the prevalence of atopy in children from anthroposophic families and the influence of an anthroposophic lifestyle on atopy prevalence.

Background: Allergy-related diseases are a public health issue but knowledge on

Regular fish consumption before age 1 appears to be associated with a reduced risk of allergic disease and sensitization to food and inhalant allergens during the first 4 years of life.

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Reactions to peanut and tree nuts are as common as reactions to milk and egg in early life. Concomitant exposure to airborne allergens seems to increase the risk of anaphylaxis to foods. Among children with anaphylaxis, wheeze is prevalent even in children without asthma diagnosis.

Our results indicate that acquisition of EBV infection during the first 2 years of life is associated with a reduced risk of IgE sensitization, and this effect is enhanced by CMV coinfection.