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Are all wheezing disorders in very young (preschool) children increasing in prevalence?

C E Kuehni1, A Davis, A M Brooke

  • 1Department of Child Health, University of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK. claudia.kuehni@insel.ch

Lancet (London, England)
|June 19, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Prevalence of childhood wheezing disorders, including viral wheeze, significantly increased between 1990 and 1998. This rise in preschool wheeze suggests factors beyond atopy are driving childhood respiratory issues.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric respiratory health
  • Epidemiology of childhood wheezing disorders
  • Atopy and asthma research

Background:

  • Distinct wheezing disorders in young children, including those unrelated to atopy, present diagnostic challenges.
  • Investigating changes in preschool wheezing disorder prevalence may reveal mechanisms behind rising childhood asthma rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the changes in the prevalence of various wheezing disorders in preschool children over an eight-year period.
  • To identify potential factors contributing to the increasing prevalence of childhood asthma.

Main Methods:

  • Population-based surveys conducted in Leicestershire, UK, using parent-completed postal questionnaires.
  • Random samples of Caucasian children aged 1-5 years surveyed in 1990 and 1998.

Main Results:

  • Significant increases observed in reported wheeze ever (16% to 29%), current wheeze (12% to 26%), asthma diagnosis (11% to 19%), and wheeze treatment (15% to 26%).
  • Increases noted across all wheezing disorder types, including viral wheeze (9% to 19%) and transient early wheezers (3% to 5%).
  • Prevalence of persistent wheezers rose from 5% to 13%, and late-onset wheezers from 6% to 8%.

Conclusions:

  • The universal increase in preschool wheezing disorders, including viral wheeze, points to non-atopy related factors.
  • These findings suggest environmental or other factors unrelated to allergic sensitization play a role in the changing epidemiology of childhood wheeze.
Abstract

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