Production of interleukin‐5, ‐10 and interferon‐γ in cord blood is strongly associated with the season of birth

Abstract

Environmental exposure to pollen and ultraviolet irradiation during gestation may have an effect on the cytokine profile of the offspring in CB because children born in the spring or winter showed the lowest IL-5, IL-10 and IFN-γ responses. The production of IL-10 and IFN-γ was also inversely associated with prostaglandin labour induction before birth. Other labour-related factors were not significantly associated with production of IL-5, IL-10 and IFN-γ after WBC count correction.