{"id":42609,"date":"2026-08-13T06:52:52","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T01:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=42609"},"modified":"2026-08-13T06:52:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T01:52:52","slug":"birth-order-may-predict-risk-for-allergies-psychiatric-disorders-and-substance-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=42609","title":{"rendered":"Birth order may predict risk for allergies, psychiatric disorders and substance use"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div data-layout-index=\"4\" class=\"featured featured-video video-ct\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\"><!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"contain\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">  <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"info\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">\n<div class=\"caption\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">\n<h4 class=\"title\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/video\/6403154994112\" data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_featured-video_5_1\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">New study links birth order to distinct health patterns<\/a><\/h4>\n<p data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel analyzes a study of 10 million children indicating that birth order shapes health risks. First-born siblings show higher rates of ADHD and autism, while second-born children face increased risks for migraines. Siegel joins Ainsley Earhardt to explain how parental attention and immune system development drive these stark differences.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">Whether someone is the older or younger sibling may be linked to certain health outcomes later in life, according to a massive new study.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">Analyzing <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_3607691\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/medical-research\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">medical data<\/a> from 10 million U.S. siblings over two decades, researchers from the University of Chicago and Columbia University found links suggesting that birth order may be connected to specific long-term health risks.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Researchers examined 569 disease categories across families and among siblings, identifying 150 conditions that were significantly associated with birth order.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_3607692\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/health\/longer-lives-worse-health-scientists-uncover-troubling-trend-across-generations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>LONGER LIVES, WORSE HEALTH? SCIENTISTS UNCOVER TROUBLING TREND ACROSS GENERATIONS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">First-born children showed a higher likelihood of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses, including <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_3607693\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/education\/autism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">autism<\/a>, ADHD, Tourette&#8217;s and OCD, as well as immune-allergic conditions like food allergies.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Second-born children were statistically more prone to <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_3607694\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/pain-management\/headaches-and-migraines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">migraines<\/a>, shingles, substance use disorders and gastrointestinal issues like gastritis.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/girl-embraces-brother-hawaii.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/girl-embraces-brother-hawaii.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/girl-embraces-brother-hawaii.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/girl-embraces-brother-hawaii.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/931\/523\/girl-embraces-brother-hawaii.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1862\/1046\/girl-embraces-brother-hawaii.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/720\/405\/girl-embraces-brother-hawaii.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1440\/810\/girl-embraces-brother-hawaii.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/girl-embraces-brother-hawaii.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Three-year-old girl embraces her one-year-old brother on a paved walkway in a backyard garden.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>First-born children showed higher rates of neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, ADHD, Tourette&#8217;s and OCD, as well as an increased prevalence of allergies.<\/span> <span>(iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Discussing the findings on &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends,&#8221; Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News, noted the value of such a wide-scale study.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;I love this study because it opens a lot of questions more than it gives answers, but I think I have some answers,&#8221; the doctor said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_3607695\" href=\"http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Regarding the heightened prevalence of ADHD among first-borns, Siegel offered his own hypothesis about parental behavior.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;My theory, they get more stimuli. The parents are like hovering over them, helicoptering them &#8230; and they don&#8217;t know where to look,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_3607696\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/lifestyle\/quizzes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Addressing the disparities in <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_3607697\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/respiratory-health\/allergy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">allergic conditions<\/a>, Siegel pointed to early environmental exposure, stating, &#8220;I think it&#8217;s because the firstborn&#8217;s immune system hasn&#8217;t seen the environment before. And if it&#8217;s not set properly, you get an allergy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/three-teenagers-dinan-brittany-france.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/three-teenagers-dinan-brittany-france.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/three-teenagers-dinan-brittany-france.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/three-teenagers-dinan-brittany-france.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/931\/523\/three-teenagers-dinan-brittany-france.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1862\/1046\/three-teenagers-dinan-brittany-france.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/720\/405\/three-teenagers-dinan-brittany-france.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1440\/810\/three-teenagers-dinan-brittany-france.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/three-teenagers-dinan-brittany-france.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Three teenagers sit in the backseat of a car being driven through a town.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Differences in parental focus, early microbial exposure and maternal biological changes between pregnancies could help explain the distinct health patterns, the doctor said.<\/span> <span>(iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Siegel also touched on biological and psychological factors when evaluating differences between siblings.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;I think the womb changes after you have your first child, and the second child gets a womb that&#8217;s already been used. So therefore, it&#8217;s more set for it,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/newsletters?cmpid=fnfirstnl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Regarding the higher rate of <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_3607699\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/mental-health\/drug-and-substance-abuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">substance use disorders<\/a> among second-born children, Siegel suggested emotional drivers, saying, &#8220;it may be the same idea: &#8216;I want attention. I&#8217;m looking for attention. I wanna do something to get a rise out of you.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">While the research highlights patterns across a large population, the study comes with limitations.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/three-brothers-walking.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/three-brothers-walking.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/three-brothers-walking.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/three-brothers-walking.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/931\/523\/three-brothers-walking.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1862\/1046\/three-brothers-walking.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/720\/405\/three-brothers-walking.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1440\/810\/three-brothers-walking.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/three-brothers-walking.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Three brothers walking\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>The study highlights population-level statistical correlations, but it does not prove that birth order directly causes any specific medical condition.<\/span> <span>(iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The findings demonstrate correlations rather than direct causation, meaning the trends don&#8217;t necessarily stem from physiological changes, early microbial exposures or social dynamics.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Additionally, the data relies on commercial health insurance claims, which can reflect differences in diagnosis, healthcare-seeking behavior and <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_health_article_main-content_article-body_6_3607700\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/lifestyle\/parenting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">parental attention<\/a> rather than true biological functions alone.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Factors such as the age of parents between births and varying age gaps between siblings also complicate these associations. Ultimately, researchers emphasized that birth order serves as a modest population-level risk marker rather than a definitive health predictor.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The research was published in the journal Nature Health.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Khloe Quill is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/lifestyle\" target=\"_blank\">lifestyle<\/a> writer with Fox News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of story topics including food and drink, travel, and health.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New study links birth order to distinct health patterns Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel analyzes a study of 10 million children indicating that birth order shapes health risks. First-born siblings show higher rates of ADHD and autism, while second-born children face increased risks for migraines. Siegel joins Ainsley Earhardt to explain how&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/three-brothers-walking.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}