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Published on: April 13, 2010
Recurrent wheezing phenotypes after severe bronchiolitis and progression to asthma
Jonathan M Mansbach1, Qi Shelly Ying2, Janice A Espinola2
1Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston.
Severe wheezing phenotypes in infants hospitalized for bronchiolitis are linked to childhood asthma. Depending on the specific wheezing phenotype, 33% to 54% of children may develop asthma by age 6.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Asthma Research
- Clinical Cohort Studies
Background:
- Recurrent wheezing is a common diagnosis following severe bronchiolitis in infants.
- The relationship between different recurrent wheezing phenotypes and the development of childhood asthma remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between three recurrent wheezing phenotypes defined in 2020 and the subsequent development of asthma by age 6.
- To compare these phenotypes with the 2007 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recurrent wheezing definition.
Main Methods:
- A 17-center cohort study involving infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis.
- Phenotyping of recurrent wheezing (NHLBI 2020, multitrigger, severe) by age 4 and assessment for asthma by age 6.
- Multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify characteristics of high-risk phenotypes.
Main Results:
- By age 4, a majority of infants met criteria for NHLBI 2020 recurrent wheezing (69%), multitrigger wheezing (80%), or severe wheezing (18%).
- By age 6, 28% of children developed asthma.
- The proportion of children who developed asthma varied by phenotype: 33% for NHLBI 2020 and multitrigger wheezing, and 54% for the severe phenotype.
Conclusions:
- Infants with severe bronchiolitis frequently develop recurrent wheezing phenotypes by age 4.
- A significant proportion of children, ranging from 33% to 54%, may progress to asthma by age 6, with the severe phenotype posing the highest risk.
- Further research is needed to explore early interventions for high-risk wheezing phenotypes to potentially prevent childhood asthma.
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Asthma-IV: Diagnostic and Management
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