Babies born in autumn and winter are more likely to become allergic according to a Finnish study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Researchers at the Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Finland, tracked 6,000 children born between 1 April 2001 and March 31, 2006.
Exposure to pollens during the first three months of pregnancy in April or May, along with a vitamin D deficiency, increased the odds of a child being allergic to foods like milk and eggs.
The study concluded that 9.5 per cent of babies born in autumn or winter showed an allergy to foods, while only 5 per cent of newborns in the spring and summer suffered from food allergies.