Findings Nothing to Sneeze At

A NZ-led medical study has found that children around the world became more susceptible to common allergies during the 1990s. The research, which questioned parents and children in 56 different countries, found that rates of asthma, hayfever and eczema increased more often than they decreased between 1991 and 2003. “The data have direct relevance for health service delivery in the countries included in the study, as well as providing a basis for understanding these disorders,” says study leader Professor Innes Asher, from the University of Auckland. The paper has been published in leading medical journal, Lancet.