Dairy farm kids less likely to develop allergies, study

Jul 14, 2014

Children and pregnant women may benefit from spending time on dairy farms

Youngsters who live on dairy farms are less susceptible to develop allergies. According to a study published in The Journal of Immunology, conducted by researchers at The University of Gothenburg in Sweden, children are not the only ones who can benefit from being around a dairy farm, but pregnant women too.

Scientists found that children who grow up on dairy farms run a much lower risk of having allergies compared to other children. Farm kids are about one-tenth at risk of developing allergies. And for pregnant women, spending time on dairy farms can help promote maturation of the fetal and neonatal immune system.

The study notes that children that are less exposed to microorganisms are found to have fewer infections.

One of the researchers, Anna-Carin Lundell, said “our study also demonstrated for the first time that delayed maturation of the immune system, specifically B-cells, is a risk factor for development of allergies.”

More studies are needed to verify the link between delayed B-cell maturation and the period of risk that follow the development of allergies.

“We need to identify the specific factors on dairy farms that strengthen protection against allergies and appear to promote maturation of the immune system as early as the fetal stage,” said Lundell.

The study was conducted on rural children that lived in the areas of Västra Götaland Region, and half of the participants in the study were from dairy farms.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.