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Cockroach allergy appears early in life in inner-city children with recurrent wheezing

H Alp1, B H Yu, E N Grant

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Cook County Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.

Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology : Official Publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology
|February 24, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Cockroach allergy is common in young children with asthma, appearing as early as 6 months. This sensitivity may be the sole allergen trigger for many inner-city children, highlighting early exposure risks.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
  • Environmental Health
  • Asthma Research

Background:

  • Cockroach allergy and high allergen exposure are linked to rising asthma issues in urban children.
  • Limited data exist on cockroach allergy prevalence in infants and young children with asthma.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hypothesis that cockroach allergy develops early in children experiencing recurrent wheezing.
  • To assess the prevalence and timing of cockroach allergen sensitivity in pediatric asthma patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 196 children (5 months–16 years) with recurrent wheezing.
  • Categorization into two age groups: under 4 years and 4–16 years.
  • IgE skin testing for aeroallergens, with specific focus on cockroach allergen in younger children.

Main Results:

  • 23.8% of children under 4 years showed cockroach allergen sensitivity, significantly higher than dust mite sensitivity (12.7%).
  • The youngest child with cockroach sensitivity was 6 months old.
  • 14.3% of young children were monosensitized to cockroach allergen, compared to 4.8% for dust mites.

Conclusions:

  • Cockroach allergen sensitivity is prevalent in early childhood, often preceding other allergies.
  • Cockroach allergy may be a primary or sole allergen in young, inner-city children with asthma.
Abstract

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