The farm effect

LMU pediatrician and epidemiologist Erika von Mutius and her research group are looking for ways to protect children and adults from asthma and allergies. Their work on the so-called farm effect has aroused the interest of her peers and of the general public. In several large-scale European studies she and her colleagues have identified a number of factors that appear to play a role in protecting farm children from asthma and allergic diseases. In laboratory experiments they have shown that treatment of pregnant mice with a specially formulated nasal spray prevents the development of asthma in their offspring.