Being First or Second Born Could Determine What Diseases You Develop
Summary
A large study of over 10 million people in U.S. families found that birth order is linked to the chances of developing certain diseases. First-born children are more often diagnosed with neurodevelopmental and allergy-related conditions, while second-born children show higher risks for substance abuse and some infections.Key Facts
- Researchers studied health records from more than 10 million people across 5.1 million U.S. families.
- They found 150 diseases had significant connections to birth order.
- First-born children had higher risks of autism, ADHD, Tourette syndrome, OCD, food allergies, asthma, and acne.
- Second-born children were more likely to have substance abuse problems, migraines, stomach issues, kidney infections, and shingles.
- The "hygiene hypothesis" may explain why younger siblings have fewer allergies, due to early exposure to more microbes.
- Factors like parental age, pregnancy biology, and family attention may contribute to neurodevelopmental differences.
- Substance abuse risk for younger siblings might relate to influence from older siblings' behavior.
- The study used insurance claim data and mainly looked at two-child families with employer insurance, which may affect how widely the results apply.
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