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Mold and dampness exposure and allergic outcomes from birth to adolescence: data from the BAMSE cohort

J D Thacher1, O Gruzieva1, G Pershagen1,2

  • 1Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Allergy
|December 8, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Infant exposure to mold or dampness increases the risk of asthma and rhinitis persisting into adolescence. These early environmental exposures are particularly linked to nonallergic asthma and persistent asthma development.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Allergy
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Childhood exposure to mold and dampness is linked to allergies.
  • Long-term effects of early mold exposure on respiratory health into adolescence are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if mold or dampness exposure in infancy increases the risk of asthma, rhinitis, or IgE sensitization.
  • To track allergic outcomes from birth to 16 years of age.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized questionnaire data from the Swedish BAMSE birth cohort (3798 children).
  • Assessed allergic outcomes including asthma, rhinitis, and IgE sensitization (blood samples from 3293 children).
  • Employed generalized estimating equations for longitudinal association analysis.

Main Results:

  • Mold/dampness exposure associated with asthma up to age 16 (OR 1.31).
  • Mold odor and visible mold linked to rhinitis (ORs 1.29, 1.28).
  • Increased risk for nonallergic asthma (OR 1.80) and rhinitis (OR 1.41); no link to IgE sensitization.

Conclusions:

  • Infant mold/dampness exposure elevates asthma and rhinitis risk through adolescence.
  • Nonallergic asthma and rhinitis were particularly associated with early exposure.
  • Early exposure strongly linked to persistent asthma development.
Abstract

Keywords:
IgE sensitizationasthmaindoor environmentrhinitis

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