Related Experiment Videos
Risk factors for wheezing during infancy. A study of 5,953 infants
H Bisgaard1, P Dalgaard, J Nyboe
1Unit for Prospective Paediatric Research, State University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Insights
Environmental factors significantly increase infant wheezing risk. Key risks include poor social environment, maternal smoking, daycare, prematurity, and being male. Seasonal birth also plays a role.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Environmental Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Infant wheezing is a common respiratory issue with multifactorial causes.
- Identifying early risk factors is crucial for prevention and intervention strategies.
- Prospective studies provide valuable insights into developmental health trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and identify key risk factors associated with the development of wheezing in infancy.
- To assess the causal effect of environmental and other factors on infant wheezing risk.
- To apply regression techniques for robust risk factor assessment.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 5,953 children with one-year follow-up.
- Wheezing diagnosis based on observed symptoms in the first year, excluding specific infections.
- Logit analysis employed to determine the impact of various risk factors.
Main Results:
- Environmental factors significantly influence infant wheezing risk.
- Increased risk observed with poor social environment, maternal smoking, and daycare attendance.
- Male infants, premature babies, and those born between April-September showed higher wheezing incidence.
Conclusions:
- Infant wheezing is strongly linked to environmental exposures and socioeconomic status.
- Maternal smoking and early daycare are significant modifiable risk factors.
- Biological factors (sex, prematurity) and birth season also contribute to wheezing risk.
Abstract:
Risk factors for the development of wheezing during infancy were studied in 5,953 children. The data for the study were collected from a large prospective investigation of children born in 1959-61, who had attended a one-year follow-up examination. Wheezing was diagnosed when the symptom had been observed at least once during the first year of life, not in conjunction with pneumonia, epiglottitis or acute laryngitis. Logit analysis was used for the purpose of assessing the causal effect of environmental and other factors on the risk of wheezing among infants. The assessment of a risk factor by means of regression technique, requires certain other variables to be included in the regression model. A general rule concerning inclusion of other variables has been formulated and applied to the above data. The study demonstrated that the risk of wheezing was affected by a number of factors--particularly environmental. Poor social environment increases the risk of wheezing, as does the mother's smoking, and placement of the baby in day-care. Boys experienced wheezing more often than girls. Premature infants are more liable to develop wheezing than mature children. Remarkably, children born in the period April through September develop wheezing, but not bronchitis, more often than children born in October through March.