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Maternal age as a risk factor for wheezing lower respiratory illnesses in the first year of life
F D Martinez1, A L Wright, C J Holberg
1Respiratory Sciences Center, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson.
Insights
Young motherhood increases infant risk for wheezing lower respiratory tract illnesses. This study found a significant association between younger maternal age and higher incidence of infant respiratory conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Postneonatal mortality from respiratory illnesses correlates with maternal age.
- The impact of young motherhood on infant respiratory morbidity remains under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal age and the incidence of lower respiratory tract illnesses in infants during their first year of life.
Main Methods:
- Study involved over 1,200 infants enrolled at birth in Tucson, Arizona (1980-1984).
- Data on lower respiratory tract illnesses were collected by health plan pediatricians.
- Logistic regression analysis controlled for confounding factors.
Main Results:
- Incidence of wheezing lower respiratory tract illnesses significantly increased with decreasing maternal age (p=0.005).
- Infants of mothers <21 years had an adjusted odds ratio of 2.4 for wheezing illnesses compared to mothers >30 years.
- Incidence of non-wheezing lower respiratory tract illness was not dependent on maternal age.
Conclusions:
- Young motherhood is a significant risk factor for wheezing lower respiratory tract illnesses in infants.
- Potential contributing factors include both biological and social aspects related to maternal age.
Abstract:
Postneonatal mortality due to respiratory illnesses is known to be inversely related to maternal age, but the possible role of young motherhood as a risk factor for respiratory morbidity in infants has not been thoroughly explored. The authors studied the incidence of lower respiratory tract illnesses during the first year of life, as ascertained by health plan pediatricians, in over 1,200 infants enrolled at birth between 1980 and 1984 in Tucson, Arizona. The incidence of wheezing lower respiratory tract illnesses increased significantly (p = 0.005) with decreasing maternal age, whereas the incidence of nonwheezing lower respiratory tract illness was independent of maternal age. A logistic regression was used to control for the effects of several known confounding factors. When compared with infants of mothers aged more than 30 years, adjusted odds ratios were 2.4 (95% confidence interval 1.8-3.1) for infants whose mothers were less than age 21 years (p < 0.0001), 1.8 (95% confidence interval 1.4-2.3) for infants whose mothers were aged 21-25 (p < 0.0001); and 1.4 (95% confidence interval 1.1-1.6) for infants whose mothers were aged 26-30 (p < 0.001). These results suggest that young motherhood is an important risk factor for wheezing lower respiratory tract illnesses during the first year of life. Both biological and social factors related to maternal age may explain these findings.