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Published on: August 7, 2017
[Association between risk factors during maternal pregnancy and the neonatal period and childhood bronchial asthma]
Hui-Qin Zhang1, Rui Fan, Jing-Jing Zhang
1Department of Pediatrics, Xijing Hospital of Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China. sunxin6@ fmmu.edu.cn.
Insights
Maternal antibiotic use, preterm birth, and C-sections increase childhood asthma risk. Breastfeeding and probiotics offer protection, suggesting early prevention strategies for childhood asthma.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Allergy and Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Childhood bronchial asthma is a significant public health concern.
- Identifying early-life risk factors is crucial for effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal pregnancy and neonatal period risk factors and the development of childhood bronchial asthma.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 306 children with asthma and 250 healthy controls.
- Analysis of maternal pregnancy and neonatal clinical data.
Main Results:
- Antibiotic use during pregnancy and neonatal period, preterm birth, and cesarean section were identified as independent risk factors for childhood asthma.
- Probiotic use and breastfeeding (>6 months) during the neonatal period demonstrated protective effects against childhood asthma.
Conclusions:
- Reducing antibiotic exposure during pregnancy and the neonatal period is recommended.
- Promoting breastfeeding and considering probiotic use in early life may help prevent childhood asthma.
Objective:
To study the association of the risk factors during maternal pregnancy and the neonatal period with childhood bronchial asthma.
Methods:
A total of 306 children with asthma (asthma group) and 250 healthy children (control group) were enrolled. Their clinical data during the neonatal period and the maternal data during pregnancy were retrospectively studied.
Results:
The univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in the rates of maternal use of antibiotics during pregnancy, use of antibiotics and probiotics during the neonatal period, preterm birth, cesarean section, low birth weight, and breast feeding (>6 months) between the asthma and control groups (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that use of antibiotics during pregnancy (OR=3.908, 95%CI: 1.277-11.962), use of antibiotics during neonatal period (OR=24.154, 95%CI: 7.864-74.183), preterm birth (OR=8.535, 95%CI: 2.733-26.652), and cesarean section (OR=4.588, 95%CI: 2.887-7.291) were independent risk factors for childhood asthma. The use of probiotics during the neonatal period (OR=0.014, 95%CI: 0.004-0.046) and breast feeding (>6 months) (OR=0.161, 95%CI: 0.103-0.253) were protective factors for childhood asthma.
Conclusions:
The early prevention of childhood asthma can be improved by reducing the use of antibiotics during pregnancy, reducing cesarean section, avoiding abuse of antibiotics during the neonatal period, trying breast feeding and taking probiotics in early stage.
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