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Multifaceted allergen avoidance during infancy reduces asthma during childhood with the effect persisting until age

Martha Scott1, Graham Roberts, Ramesh J Kurukulaaratchy

  • 1The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 5TG, UK. sha@soton.ac.uk

Thorax
|August 4, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Environmental modification in infancy significantly reduced childhood asthma prevalence persisting into adulthood. Early allergen avoidance is key for high-risk infants, offering long-term protection against asthma.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
  • Environmental Health
  • Preventive Medicine

Background:

  • Asthma is a prevalent chronic childhood disease influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
  • Identifying high-risk infants is crucial for early intervention strategies.
  • Environmental modifications in early life may mitigate asthma development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the impact of environmental allergen reduction in the first year of life on asthma prevalence.
  • To evaluate the long-term efficacy of early-life interventions in high-risk children.
  • To determine if environmental modifications influence the onset and persistence of childhood asthma.

Main Methods:

  • A single-blinded, randomized controlled trial involved 120 high-risk infants.
  • Intervention group: maternal low-allergen diet (breastfeeding) or extensively hydrolyzed formula, with reduced house dust mite exposure.
  • Control group: standard infant care advice. Asthma and atopy assessed at ages 1, 2, 4, 8, and 18 years.

Main Results:

  • Significantly lower asthma prevalence at age 18 in the intervention group (OR: 0.23, p=0.01), mainly for persistent childhood asthma.
  • Overall reduction in asthma prevalence from age 1 to 18 years observed (OR: 0.51, p=0.04).
  • No significant difference in atopy prevalence between groups at age 18.

Conclusions:

  • Comprehensive allergen avoidance during the first year of life effectively prevents asthma in genetically high-risk individuals.
  • The protective effect of early environmental modification is evident in childhood and persists into adulthood.
  • Targeted early-life interventions can alter the trajectory of asthma development.
Abstract

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