Cesarean Delivery Linked to Higher Eczema Risk in Infants

Caesarean Birth Increases Eczema Risk in Infants Dr. Candan İslamoğlu, Member of the Turkish National Allergy and Clinical Immunology Association, commented on the results of research conducted in Sweden on the relationship between mode of delivery and atopic dermatitis (eczema) in children, stating: "Caesarean delivery was found to carry a higher eczema risk compared to children born through vaginal delivery." Atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema, is a chronic but non-contagious disease commonly seen in both children and adults. Skin dryness and itching are characteristic of eczema, which requires ongoing medical treatment and can significantly reduce quality of life. Dr. Candan İslamoğlu, Member of the Turkish National Allergy and Clinical Immunology Association, says that in recent years there have been publications explaining the increase in eczema, particularly in infants, by the rise in caesarean deliveries observed globally. Pointing out that the frequency of caesarean delivery has risen worldwide from 9 percent to 21 percent over the past 10 years, İslamoğlu stated: "Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate this issue. Many studies, including research conducted in Korea on 1,302 patients and research in Ecuador examining 400 patients, supported this hypothesis. Most recently, research conducted in Sweden examining the relationship between caesarean delivery and atopic dermatitis (eczema) has further clarified the relationship between mode of delivery and eczema."

Higher eczema risk with caesarean delivery

In a study conducted in Sweden to investigate the relationship between mode of delivery and atopic dermatitis in children under 5 years of age, Dr. Candan İslamoğlu noted that a total of 1,399,406 children born in Sweden between 2006 and 2018 and registered in birth records were divided into 4 groups according to mode of delivery and followed until age 5, and provided the following information about the research: "Divided into 4 groups—vaginal delivery, assisted vaginal delivery (forceps, vacuum), emergency caesarean, and elective caesarean—18.7% of the children examined were born through normal vaginal delivery and 82.2% through caesarean delivery. Eczema was observed in 17.2% of the 1,150,896 children born through normal vaginal delivery and in 18.3% of the 248,510 children born through caesarean. The study revealed a higher eczema risk with caesarean delivery compared to children born vaginally." Stating that eczema risk was found to be lower with normal delivery compared to caesarean delivery, İslamoğlu noted that both children born through emergency caesarean and children born through elective caesarean had higher eczema risk, and continued: "The research was published in the December 2022 issue of the journal Pediatric Allergy Immunology. This research holds an important place in terms of being a guide for mothers regarding delivery methods. At this point, we can see how normal delivery can provide protection against diseases that may develop during the birth process."