Hospitalization for RSV bronchiolitis before 12 months of age and subsequent asthma, atopy and wheeze: a longitudinal

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Published on: August 7, 2017

John Henderson1, Tom N Hilliard, Andrea Sherriff

  • 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, UK. a.j.henderson@bristol.ac.uk

Pediatric Allergy and Immunology : Official Publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
|August 17, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Infants hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis show increased risks of developing wheezing and asthma later in childhood. However, RSV infection did not correlate with the development of atopy by age seven.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric respiratory health
  • Epidemiology of infectious diseases
  • Allergy and immunology

Background:

  • Recurrent wheezing and asthma are frequently observed in children following infantile respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis.
  • The link between RSV infection, allergic sensitization, and asthma development is not fully understood, with emerging evidence suggesting gene-environment interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between RSV bronchiolitis in infancy and subsequent respiratory outcomes, including wheezing, doctor-diagnosed asthma, and atopy.
  • To compare these outcomes in a population-based birth cohort based on hospitalization for RSV-proven bronchiolitis.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort.
  • Compared outcomes of children hospitalized with RSV bronchiolitis in the first 12 months with those not hospitalized.
  • Employed multivariable logistic regression to analyze wheezing prevalence, asthma diagnosis, and skin prick test-defined atopy, adjusting for confounders.

Main Results:

  • Infants hospitalized with RSV bronchiolitis (1.1% of cohort) exhibited significantly higher rates of wheezing at 30–42 months (28.1% vs. 13.1%) and 69–81 months (22.6% vs. 9.6%).
  • The cumulative prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma by 91 months was higher in the RSV group (38.4% vs. 20.1%).
  • No significant association was found between RSV bronchiolitis and the development of atopy by age 7 years (14.6% vs. 20.7%).

Conclusions:

  • RSV bronchiolitis in infancy is a significant risk factor for developing recurrent wheezing and asthma in childhood.
  • The study did not find evidence that RSV bronchiolitis influences the development of atopy by age seven.
  • Findings highlight the importance of RSV infection as a predictor of persistent asthma-like symptoms.

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