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Effect of low birth weight on childhood asthma: a meta-analysis

Xue-Feng Xu, Ying-Jun Li, Yuan-Jian Sheng

  • 1Department of Pulmonology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China. drchenzm@163.com.

BMC Pediatrics
|October 24, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Low birth weight is a significant risk factor for developing childhood asthma. This meta-analysis confirms a notable increase in asthma risk associated with low birth weight in children.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Low birth weight is linked to increased adult disease risk.
  • Low birth weight may be an independent risk factor for developing asthma later in life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically evaluate the association between low birth weight and the risk of childhood asthma.
  • To quantify the risk of asthma associated with low birth weight through meta-analysis.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic literature search was performed on the PubMed database (1966-2013).
  • Included studies were case-control or cohort studies reporting odds ratios (OR) or risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
  • Random-effect and fixed-effect meta-analyses, meta-regression, and cumulative meta-analysis were conducted.

Main Results:

  • Thirteen cohort studies comprising 1,105,703 subjects were analyzed.
  • Low birth weight was associated with a significantly increased risk of childhood asthma (pooled RR: 1.162 [fixed-effect], 1.152 [random-effects]).
  • Stratified analyses indicated a stronger effect in European studies, smaller sample sizes, and more recent publications.

Conclusions:

  • Low birth weight is a significant risk factor for childhood asthma.
  • The findings underscore the importance of addressing low birth weight for asthma prevention.
Abstract

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