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Lung function at age 3 years: effect of pet ownership and exposure to indoor allergens
Lesley A Lowe1, Ashley Woodcock, Clare S Murray
1North West Lung Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Southmoor Road, Manchester M23 9LT, UK.
Insights
Exposure to allergens significantly impacts lung function in children. Children sensitized to allergens and exposed to high levels showed poorer lung function, especially with a parental history of asthma.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Respiratory Health
- Environmental Allergens
- Immunology
Background:
- Pet ownership and indoor allergen exposure are common in early childhood.
- The impact on lung function development remains a key area of research.
- Understanding these associations is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between pet ownership, indoor allergen exposure, and lung function in 3-year-old children.
- To identify specific risk factors for impaired lung development.
- To investigate the combined effects of sensitization and allergen exposure.
Main Methods:
- A prospective birth cohort study followed children from prenatal recruitment to age 3.
- Lung function was assessed using specific airway resistance (sRaw) via body plethysmography.
- Skin-prick tests, pet ownership data, and home dust allergen levels were collected.
Main Results:
- Pet ownership alone did not affect lung function.
- Children sensitized to allergens and exposed to high levels exhibited significantly poorer lung function.
- Maternal/paternal asthma and the interaction between sensitization and exposure were significant predictors of lung function.
Conclusions:
- Sensitization combined with high allergen exposure, particularly in children with a parental asthma history, is linked to reduced lung function.
- Pet ownership and allergen exposure in non-sensitized individuals did not impact lung function.
- Early-life environmental exposures play a critical role in respiratory health outcomes.
Objective:
To investigate the effect of pet ownership and exposure to indoor allergens on lung function in 3-year-old children.
Design:
Birth cohort study.
Setting:
Community.
Participants:
Children recruited prenatally and followed prospectively to age 3 years.
Main Outcome Measures:
Specific airway resistance (sRaw) (measured with body plethysmograph) at age 3 years; skin-prick tests; data on cat and dog ownership collected prospectively; allergen levels measured in dust collected from homes (high exposure defined as mite allergens >2 microg/g in mattress, and dog >10 microg/g and cat >8 microg/g allergens on the living room floor).
Results:
There was no effect of cat or dog ownership at birth or age 3 years on lung function, and no association between lung function and mite, dog, or cat allergen exposure. Sensitized children exposed to high levels of sensitizing allergen had significantly poorer lung function (n = 49, sRaw kiloPascal per second [kPa/s]; geometric mean [GM], 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-1.28) than children who were not sensitized and not exposed (n = 114; GM, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.04-1.12); not sensitized, but exposed (n = 282; GM, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05-1.10); or sensitized and not exposed (n = 53; GM, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.06-1.18; P = .005). In a multivariate model, independent significant associates of lung function were maternal and paternal asthma, and the combination of sensitization and exposure to sensitizing allergen, with significant interaction between them. Lung function was substantially worse in sensitized and highly exposed children with both asthmatic parents (GM, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.68-2.97), compared with those with neither (GM, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.04-1.16) or just 1 of these features.
Conclusions:
Pet ownership, sensitization without exposure, or exposure in nonsensitized individuals have no effect on lung function. However, the combination of specific sensitization and exposure to sensitizing allergen is associated with significantly poorer lung function in early life.
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