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Published on: August 7, 2017

A meta-analysis of the association between Caesarean section and childhood asthma

S Thavagnanam1, J Fleming, A Bromley

  • 1Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Clinical and Experimental Allergy : Journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
|March 21, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Children born via Caesarean section face a 20% increased risk of developing asthma. This meta-analysis confirms a link between C-section delivery and childhood asthma development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
  • Epidemiology
  • Microbiome Research

Background:

  • Caesarean section (C-section) delivery alters infant gut microbiota, potentially increasing asthma risk.
  • Existing research on C-section and asthma association shows conflicting results.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and meta-analyze existing studies on the association between C-section birth and childhood asthma.
  • To quantify the overall risk of asthma in children born via C-section.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature search across major databases (MEDLINE, Web Science, Google Scholar, PubMed).
  • Meta-analysis of Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) from 23 identified studies.
  • Assessment of statistical heterogeneity using I² statistic and P-values.

Main Results:

  • Overall meta-analysis indicated a 22% increased risk of asthma in C-section born children (OR=1.22, 95% CI 1.14-1.29).
  • Significant heterogeneity was observed initially (I²=46%, P<0.001).
  • Analysis restricted to childhood studies reduced heterogeneity (I²=32%, P=0.08) and confirmed increased asthma risk (OR=1.20, 95% CI 1.14-12.6).

Conclusions:

  • This meta-analysis demonstrates a significant 20% increased risk of subsequent asthma in children delivered by Caesarean section.
  • The findings support a link between C-section delivery and elevated asthma risk in offspring.
Abstract

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