According to the Academy of Finland, allergies have increased in line with better hygiene. The research shows the risk of allergic predisposition in children is four times and in mothers 2.4 times greater than across the border in Russian Karelia.
Professor Tari Haahtela and his research team claim that the current allergy epidemic is not so much due to an increase in allergenic risk factors but rather to a disappearance of factors protecting people from allergies. The team concludes that the human immune system has not had the time to adapt to the rapid changes in urban environment and way of life.
The Academy of Finland studied allergies in Finnish and Russian Karelia. Their project was part of the Academy’s Microbes and Man Research Programme.
YLE