A new study carried out at Copenhagen’s Rigshospitalet found that roughly a third of all Danish children have been treated for either asthma, eczema or allergies, public broadcaster DR reported. 

 

The study looked at the treatments and subscriptions given to nearly one million Danish children born between 1997 and 2011. 

 

“We have long known that these illnesses are widely spread among children and adults in Denmark and abroad, but this is the first time that we have concrete numbers on how many of our children have symptoms of asthma and allergies already when they are very young,” research leader Lone Graff Stensballe told DR. 

 

Among the study’s conclusions were the findings that boys are more likely than girls to be treated for asthma and eczema, both of which are most widespread during the winter months. 

 

Researchers also noted that while for four straight decades the number of children treated for asthma and allergies has steadily grown, the increase stopped over the past ten years. That has led researchers to consider whether Denmark’s tougher anti-smoking laws implemented in 2007 have had a positive impact on children’s health, although they said it was still to early to draw that conclusion.