Going to a playgroup cuts risk of leukaemia

It is thought early infections may help the body fight off the disease.

Researchers reviewed 14 studies involving nearly 20,000 children, of which 6,000 developed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

Leukaemia is the most common cancer found in children in the industrialised world, affecting about one in 2,000 youngsters.

ALL accounts for more than 80% of leukaemia cases among children, and most often occurs in those aged between two and five.

Scientists believe that for most types of childhood leukaemia to develop, there must first be a genetic mutation in the womb, followed by a second trigger – such as an infection – during childhood.

However, it is also thought that contracting some childhood infections – which are often readily spread in environments such as playgroups where children are in close contact with each other – may prime the immune system against leukaemia.

Conversely, if the immune system is not challenged in early life, this is thought to raise the risk of an inappropriate response to subsequent infections, making the development of leukaemia more likely.

The team from The University of California, Berkeley found that 12 of the studies suggested some protective effect from social interaction.

However, research showed that children from large families were less likely to benefit than those with fewer brothers and sisters.

Lead researcher Professor Patricia Buffler said: "Combining the results from these studies together provided us with more confidence that the protective effect is real."

Edward Copisarow, of the charity Children with Leukaemia, said: "This is the kind of research that brings us a step closer to understanding the causes of this complex disease and how we can prevent it."