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Association of cesarean section with asthma and atopic dermatitis in infants from the Japan Environment and

Hajime Maeda1, Koichi Hashimoto2,3, Hajime Iwasa4

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan. hmaeda@fmu.ac.jp.

Scientific Reports
|November 12, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Cesarean delivery is not associated with an increased risk of wheezing, eczema, asthma, or atopic dermatitis in infants by one year of age. This large-scale study found no significant link between delivery mode and common childhood allergies.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Epidemiology
  • Allergology

Background:

  • Global increases in allergic diseases and cesarean delivery rates raise concerns about potential associations.
  • Existing research on the link between cesarean delivery and allergies is conflicting and requires further investigation.
  • Understanding this relationship is crucial for public health initiatives and parental guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between cesarean delivery and the development of wheezing and eczema in infants at one year of age.
  • To determine if cesarean delivery increases the risk of developing asthma and atopic dermatitis in early childhood.
  • To provide robust data on the safety of cesarean delivery concerning infant allergic conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, including 104,065 fetal records and subsequent child data.
  • Collected information on delivery mode, wheezing, eczema, asthma, and atopic dermatitis via medical records and questionnaires.
  • Employed multiple logistic regression analysis to assess the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for allergic outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Included 74,639 subjects, with 18.4% born via cesarean delivery.
  • No increased odds of wheezing (aOR=0.98, CI: 0.93-1.04) were observed in infants born by cesarean delivery.
  • Similarly, no significant associations were found for eczema (aOR=0.99, CI: 0.94-1.05), asthma (aOR=0.95, CI: 0.84-1.08), or atopic dermatitis (aOR=1.02, CI: 0.92-1.13).

Conclusions:

  • Cesarean delivery was not associated with an increased risk of developing wheezing or eczema by one year of age.
  • The study found no evidence to support a link between cesarean delivery and increased odds of asthma or atopic dermatitis in early childhood.
  • Findings suggest that cesarean delivery does not significantly impact the development of common allergic diseases in infants.

Keywords:
AsthmaAtopic dermatitisCesarean deliveryEczemaWheezing

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