Birth order may influence your disease risk later in life, study finds
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.
A recent study published in Nature Health suggests that a person's birth order may be linked to their risk of developing certain diseases later in life. Researchers analyzed health records from over 10 million individuals in the U.S., focusing on 569 disease categories and comparing first-borns with second-borns from different families.
Of the 418 diseases analyzed, 150 showed significant birth-order associations. First-born children were more likely to be diagnosed with neurodevelopmental conditions, mental health issues, and allergy-related conditions, while second-born children had higher rates of substance abuse, migraines, digestive issues, shingles, and some joint conditions.
The study authors propose that birth order may influence disease risk through factors like parental surveillance, exposure to microbes, and peer group exposure. However, the researchers emphasize that these findings indicate statistical associations, not direct causation, and the actual risk difference for any single child is relatively small.
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