Leukaemia risk

Social interaction at an early age could help to reduce the risk of the most common form of childhood leukaemia, according to new research.

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, found that children who go to day care centres or play groups have a 30 per cent reduced risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

This form of leukaemia accounts for more than 80 per cent of cases and most often occurs in children aged between two and five years.

The researchers analysed 14 published studies involving a total of 6,108 children with leukaemia and 13,704 without the disease.

Parents were asked about their children's social interaction, including day care and play group attendance.

Twelve of the studies found some indication of a protective effect of social interaction with other children, while two found no effect.

No study found that social contact increased the risk of childhood leukaemia.

The research does not show how social contact might help to prevent childhood leukaemia but it argues that children exposed to common infections in early life gain protection from the disease.

Some scientists say that if the immune system is not challenged early in life then it may not develop properly, resulting in an inappropriate response to infections encountered in later childhood.

This could then prompt the development of leukaemia, researchers say.

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