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Published on: August 7, 2017

Growth velocity during infancy and onset of asthma in school-aged children

C Flexeder1, E Thiering, I Brüske

  • 1Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.

Allergy
|November 19, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Rapid infant weight gain, or peak weight velocity (PWV), is linked to an increased risk of childhood asthma. Height growth velocity showed no significant association with asthma development up to age 10.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Infant growth patterns may influence the development of childhood asthma.
  • Understanding early life growth trajectories is crucial for predicting asthma risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between peak height velocity (PHV) and peak weight velocity (PWV) in the first two years of life and the subsequent onset of asthma and wheeze up to age 10.
  • To identify early growth indicators for childhood respiratory conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from 9086 children in the GINIplus and LISAplus birth cohorts.
  • Calculation of PHV and PWV using measurements from birth to 2 years.
  • Utilized Cox proportional hazards and generalized linear mixed models, adjusting for confounders like birth weight and BMI at 10 years.

Main Results:

  • A significant increase in asthma risk was observed with higher peak weight velocity (PWV) (adjHR: 1.22; CI: 1.02-1.47).
  • Peak height velocity (PHV) did not show a significant association with asthma onset (adjHR: 1.08; CI: 0.88-1.31).
  • Neither PHV nor PWV were significantly associated with wheeze development.

Conclusions:

  • Infant weight gain velocity is positively associated with physician-diagnosed asthma in school-aged children.
  • Rapid infant weight gain may be a modifiable risk factor for childhood asthma.
Abstract

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