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Early patterns of wheezing in asthmatic and nonasthmatic children

Alfredo Cano Garcinuño1, Isabel Mora Gandarillas,

  • 1Regional Health Service, Castilla y León.

The European Respiratory Journal
|January 26, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Wheezing incidence in early childhood is consistently higher in children with asthma. This study found no specific time point in the first 36 months where asthma-related wheezing clearly emerges.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Epidemiology
  • Allergy and Immunology

Background:

  • Wheezing is a common respiratory symptom in early childhood.
  • Distinguishing between transient wheeze and early asthma is challenging.
  • Understanding wheezing patterns can inform early diagnosis and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe wheezing time patterns in asthmatic and non-asthmatic children up to 36 months.
  • To identify potential asthma-related breakpoints in wheezing incidence.
  • To analyze wheezing trends in relation to later asthma diagnosis.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the 3739-child SLAM cohort, followed from birth to 6 years.
  • Recorded wheezing episodes (first 36 months) and asthma diagnosis (at 6 years) by a doctor.
  • Employed joinpoint regression models to analyze monthly wheezing incidence rates and rate ratios.

Main Results:

  • Wheezing was significantly more frequent in asthmatic children (rate ratio 2.62) during the first 36 months.
  • Wheezing incidence differences increased over time due to persistently high rates in asthmatic children.
  • No specific breakpoint was identified for the emergence of asthma-related wheezing; asthmatic children showed a one-phase curve, while non-asthmatic children showed a two-phase curve.

Conclusions:

  • Wheezing is a persistent early indicator in childhood asthma, not characterized by a distinct emergence point within the first three years.
  • The incidence of wheezing in asthmatic children follows a continuous pattern rather than a sudden breakpoint.
  • Further research may explore factors influencing the two-phase wheezing pattern observed in non-asthmatic and allergic asthma cases.

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