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Pyloromyotomy: Does surgery in infancy increase allergy?
Insights
Infants undergoing surgery for pyloric stenosis before age two do not show an increased incidence of asthma or allergy. This study found allergy and asthma rates comparable to the general population in these young patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Allergology
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Previous reports suggested a potential link between early childhood surgery and increased allergy/asthma.
- Pyloric stenosis surgery in infants is a common procedure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence of asthma and allergy in children who underwent surgery for pyloric stenosis before the age of two.
- To determine if early surgical intervention impacts the development of allergic and asthmatic conditions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective telephone review of patients who presented with pyloric stenosis.
- Comparison of observed allergy and asthma incidence with national figures.
Main Results:
- The study found no statistically significant increase in the incidence of allergy or asthma in the studied population.
- The observed rates of allergy and asthma were comparable to nationally reported figures for the general population.
Conclusions:
- Surgery for pyloric stenosis in infants under two years of age does not appear to increase the risk of developing asthma or allergies.
- Findings contradict previous suggestions of a link between early surgery and allergic/asthmatic manifestations.
Abstract:
One recently published article and several presentations at international meetings have suggested that there is an increased incidence of allergic and asthmatic manifestations, as compared with the general population, if a child undergoes surgery before the age of 2 years. The study explores the incidence of asthma and allergy in a group of patients who presented with pyloric stenosis. All of these underwent surgery. The technique of the study was a retrospective telephone review and the response rate was approximately 40%. The data show that there is no increase in the incidence of allergy or asthma in this population as compared with nationally reported figures.