Related Experiment Videos
Wheezing, asthma, and atopy in premature infants at 2 years of age
Sevim Ünal1, Ayşenur Kaya2, Leyla Bilgin3
1Department of Neonatology, Ankara Children's Hematology Oncology Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Wheezing and bronchial asthma (BA) were common in premature infants by age two. Degree of premature birth influenced wheezing, while family history and smoking impacted BA development.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Allergy and Immunology
Background:
- Premature infants (<37 weeks gestational age) face increased risks for respiratory issues.
- Wheezing and bronchial asthma (BA) are significant concerns in early childhood development.
- Atopy assessment is crucial for understanding allergic predispositions in vulnerable infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prevalence of wheezing, bronchial asthma (BA), and atopy in premature infants at two years of age.
- To identify factors associated with wheezing and BA in this cohort.
- To explore the relationship between prematurity and respiratory outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 98 premature infants (<37 weeks gestational age).
- Atopy assessed via skin-prick tests and serum IgE levels at 2 years.
- Infant and family histories collected via questionnaires and hospital records.
Main Results:
- Prevalence rates: 32.7% for wheezing, 16.3% for asthma, 14.3% for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
- Wheezing correlated with gestational age, birth weight, and various clinical factors (P < 0.05).
- Family history of BA and smoking were linked to infant BA (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Wheezing is associated with the degree of prematurity.
- Bronchial asthma in infants is linked to family history and maternal smoking.
- Increased gestational age may positively impact respiratory health up to age two.
Background/Aim:
We aimed to evaluate wheezing, bronchial asthma (BA), and atopy in premature infants at 2 years of age via a cross-sectional study.
Materials And Methods:
Premature infants at <37 weeks of gestational age (GA) were assessed for atopy by skin-prick test and serum immunoglobulin E level at 2 years of age. The family's and infant's histories of allergy, BA, atopy, and wheezing were obtained by questionnaire and from hospital records.
Results:
There were 98 infants, with mean birth weight (BW) 1517.4 ± 486.5 g and GA 30.8 ± 2.9 weeks. The frequencies of wheezing, asthma, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) were 32.7%, 16.3%, and 14.3%, respectively. Skin-prick tests were positive for 11 subjects, with allergy to cereals for 7 infants, egg for 3, and peanut for 1. Wheezing was related to GA, BW, respiratory distress syndrome, mechanical ventilation, sepsis, asphyxia, smoking, antenatal steroid, BA, palivizumab prophylaxis, number of people in the household, and duration of hospitalization (P < 0.05). Wheezing was negatively correlated to GA. Family history of BA, smoking, and number of people in the household were linked to BA (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Wheezing was related to degree of premature birth, but BA was linked to BA in the family and smoking. Increased gestation should improve the infant's respiratory health up to 2 years of age.