Daijiworld Media Network - Dublin

Dublin, Jun 15: Children born during Ireland's COVID-19 lockdown continue to show lower rates of food allergies at five years of age, according to findings from a long-term study presented at the 2026 annual congress of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The study, titled Impact of Coronavirus Pandemic on Allergic and Autoimmune Dysregulation in Infants Born During Lockdown (CORAL), examined how the unique environment experienced by infants born during Ireland's strict COVID-19 restrictions influenced the development of allergic diseases.

Researchers had previously reported that children in the cohort had lower rates of food allergies but higher levels of atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema, at two years of age. The latest follow-up assessment at age five found that the reduced prevalence of food allergies persisted, while most cases of eczema had resolved.

The researchers conducted clinical evaluations that included skin prick tests for food and airborne allergens, assessments for atopic dermatitis, and collection of blood and stool samples. Parents also completed questionnaires detailing allergic symptoms, medication use, healthcare visits and environmental exposures.

The study found that sensitisation to airborne allergens increased significantly from 8.9 per cent at age two to 24 per cent at age five. Children who were sensitised were more than five times as likely to experience allergic symptoms compared to those who were not.

Parent-reported wheezing remained largely unchanged between the two assessments and showed a strong association with asthma diagnoses. Despite the rise in airborne allergen sensitisation, food allergies remained relatively uncommon among the children studied.

Researchers suggested that pandemic-related lifestyle changes, including higher breastfeeding rates and reduced exposure to antibiotics during infancy, may have contributed to the lower incidence of food allergies. These factors were first identified when the children were two years old and appear to have had lasting effects.

The findings also showed that the progression of eczema and increasing sensitivity to airborne allergens followed the well-known "atopic march" pattern, in which allergic conditions evolve over time from eczema and food allergies in early childhood to respiratory allergies later in life.

The researchers said the study represents the first longitudinal assessment of allergic outcomes among children born during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and provides evidence that early-life environmental changes during the pandemic may have influenced long-term allergy development.