Children born during Ireland’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns continue to show unusually low rates of food allergies at five years old. According to the CORAL study presented at the 2026 European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology congress, researchers tracked infants born during the pandemic to observe long-term immune development.
While early childhood evaluations showed higher eczema rates, most skin conditions resolved by age five. However, sensitivity to airborne allergens surged from under nine percent at age two to twenty-four percent at age five, aligning with typical childhood asthma trajectories.
Scientists attribute the persistent drop in food allergies to pandemic-era environmental shifts. Increased breastfeeding rates and reduced early exposure to antibiotics likely fortified the infants' immune systems. This landmark longitudinal assessment suggests that early-life environmental disruptions can yield lasting, protective effects against specific allergic diseases.