Birth order may influence your disease risk later in life, study finds
A large-scale study of over 10 million individuals suggests that birth order is linked to the risk of developing certain health conditions. First-borns showed higher rates of neurodevelopmental and allergic conditions, while second-borns were more frequently diagnosed with substance abuse and digestive issues.
Why it matters
Understanding these correlations could help medical professionals better assess individual health risks based on family history and birth order.
edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Whether you are first-born or second-born may be associated with your risk of developing certain diseases, according to a new study published in Nature Health .
Previous research has found that younger siblings often have lower rates of allergies and asthma, which may be because their older brothers or sisters bring more microbes into the home. But it was unclear whether birth order was linked more broadly to health risks across the body.
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