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Wheezing and eczema in relation to infant anthropometry: evidence of developmental programming of disease in

Lynda J Carrington1, Simon C Langley-Evans

  • 1Centre for Reproduction and Early Life, University of Nottingham, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, UK.

Maternal & Child Nutrition
|August 3, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Early fetal growth, indicated by head circumference, may influence childhood wheeze risk. Brain sparing, a proposed mechanism, was not supported by these findings in UK children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Pediatric allergy
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Early life environment and fetal development are implicated in programming later-life allergic disease risk.
  • Brain sparing, a nutrient diversion mechanism, has been hypothesized to link fetal environment to disease risk.
  • Understanding these early life influences is crucial for the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between early life anthropometric indices and parent-reported wheeze and eczema at age seven.
  • To assess whether brain sparing plays a role in the developmental programming of allergic diseases.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 256 seven-year-old UK children was studied.
  • Historical anthropometric data (birth to age three) and current measurements were collected.
  • Parent-reported wheeze and eczema were assessed as outcomes, with statistical analysis adjusting for confounders.

Main Results:

  • Eczema at age seven showed no significant relationship with birth or infancy anthropometry.
  • A smaller head circumference at 10-15 days of age was associated with increased odds of wheeze at age seven (P=0.018).
  • Reduced odds of wheeze were observed in children with larger head circumference at 10-15 days (OR 0.12, P(trend)=0.009).

Conclusions:

  • Fetal growth factors, reflected in early head circumference, appear associated with childhood wheeze.
  • The findings support the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis.
  • Brain sparing was not found to be a significant mechanism in this association.

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