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Risk factors for asthma up to 16 years of age. Evidence from a national cohort study
Insights
Childhood asthma (AW) risk factors include male sex, maternal age, and conditions like pneumonia and eczema. Perinatal and social factors did not influence its natural history.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Respiratory Health
Background:
- Asthma and wheezing illness (AW) are common in childhood.
- Understanding the natural history and risk factors of AW is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the natural history of asthma and wheezing illness in a large national cohort.
- To identify predictive risk factors for the onset of childhood AW.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Child Development Study, examining 8,806 children.
- Longitudinal analysis of children at ages seven, 11, and 16 years.
Main Results:
- Identified male sex, maternal age at birth, pneumonia, whooping cough, tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy, allergic rhinitis, eczema, and periodic abdominal pain/vomiting as predictors of AW.
- Found no significant effect of various perinatal factors, feeding practices, or social/family factors on AW natural history.
Conclusions:
- Specific childhood illnesses and conditions are significant predictors of asthma and wheezing illness.
- Early life feeding and social factors do not appear to influence the long-term course of childhood AW.
Abstract:
From a national cohort of 8,806 children examined at ages seven, 11 and 16 years (National Child Development Study), data on asthma or wheezing illness (AW) were analyzed to describe its natural history in childhood and its risk factors. Factors found to predict the subsequent onset of asthma included male sex of child, mother's age at the child's birth, pneumonia, whooping cough, tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy, allergic rhinitis, eczema and periodic abdominal pain/vomiting attacks. A wide range of perinatal factors, including feeding practices, and social and family factors were shown to have no effect on natural history.