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Background: Perinatal factors during delivery might modulate fetal immunological development and thereby be associated with the development of allergic diseases and asthma later.Methods: Perinatal data was recorded during pregnancy and at the time of delivery in regard to 5823 children who were born in Northern Finland in 1985[ndash]1986. Data from self-administered questionnaires were available at the ages of 7 and 15[ndash]16 years and skin prick tests for four main allergens were carried out at the age of 15[ndash]16 years. Only singletons delivered by the vaginal route were analyzed.Results: There was a higher prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma at any time of life among children who were delivered by vacuum extraction (RR 1.80, 95% CI 1.27[ndash]2.56; P < 0.001) in comparison with spontaneously delivered children. In particular, this risk was increased as regards late-onset asthma (RR 2.41, 95% CI 1.52[ndash]3.81; P < 0.001). Perinatal effects had less impact on the development of other asthma, atopy or hay fever.Conclusions: The delivery by vacuum extraction had significant impact on the development of late-onset asthma compared with spontaneously delivered children.

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