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Asthma symptoms in early childhood--what happens then?

Emma Goksör1, Mainor Amark, Bernt Alm

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Göteborg University, Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|May 25, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Early wheezing in childhood can lead to persistent asthma in adulthood. Key risk factors include allergies, bronchial hyper-responsiveness, and female gender, with early passive smoke exposure having lasting effects.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Allergy and Immunology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Early childhood wheezing is a common respiratory issue.
  • Understanding long-term asthma outcomes and risk factors is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term outcomes of childhood asthma symptoms into early adulthood.
  • To identify factors associated with current asthma in individuals with a history of early wheezing.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study re-investigated 89 children hospitalized for wheezing before age two.
  • Participants underwent questionnaires, allergy testing, and bronchial hyper-responsiveness tests at 17-20 years.
  • Results were compared to age-matched controls.

Main Results:

  • 43% of the cohort experienced asthma symptoms in the past year, versus 15% in controls.
  • Current allergy, bronchial hyper-responsiveness, and female gender were strong predictors of adult asthma.
  • Female gender and infantile passive smoking were independent early risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • Allergy, bronchial hyper-responsiveness, and female gender are key risk factors for adult asthma in those with early wheezing.
  • Early passive smoke exposure shows persistent effects into adulthood, longer than previously understood.
  • Two distinct pathways to adult asthma identified: allergic and passive smoking-related.
Abstract

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