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Asthma in Children With Congenital Lung Malformations: A Population-Based Case-Control Study
Louis W J Dossche1,2, Ghazale Farjam1, Marius J P Zuidweg1,2
1Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba and Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Insights
Children with congenital lung malformations (CLM) have a significantly higher risk of developing asthma, particularly females. This highlights the need for ongoing respiratory monitoring in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Congenital lung malformations (CLM) are developmental anomalies that can lead to respiratory issues.
- The link between CLM and asthma is not well understood due to limited research and lack of population controls.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of asthma and associated outcomes in children with CLM.
- To compare asthma risk and clinical course in CLM patients versus the general pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- A population-based case-control study was conducted, linking CLM patients to provincial health data.
- Asthma diagnosis (age ≥5 years) was identified using ICD-9/10 codes.
- Outcomes included asthma prevalence, time to diagnosis, healthcare encounters, and medication patterns.
Main Results:
- Children with CLM showed a 2.48-fold increased risk of asthma compared to controls (p < 0.001).
- CLM cases had a threefold higher hazard of asthma diagnosis (aHR = 3.24), with females being particularly susceptible (aHR = 3.92).
- CLM patients experienced 71% more asthma-related medical encounters annually (aIRR = 1.71).
Conclusions:
- Children with CLM face a substantially elevated risk for asthma, characterized by earlier onset and increased healthcare utilization.
- Female children with CLM are disproportionately affected.
- Long-term respiratory surveillance and validated asthma assessments are crucial for managing children with CLM.
Background:
Congenital lung malformations (CLM) are developmental anomalies that may predispose to respiratory morbidity. Their association with asthma remains unclear, largely due to small series and the lack of population-based controls.
Objective:
To evaluate asthma prevalence and related outcomes in children with CLM compared to population controls.
Methods:
We conducted a population-based case-control study linking CLM patients from a surgical registry to provincial health data. Each CLM patient was linked to up to ten date-of-birth-matched controls. Asthma was defined by ICD-9/10 codes from age ≥5 years. Outcomes included asthma prevalence, time to first diagnosis, recurrent medical encounters, and pharmacotherapy patterns. Analyses yielded risk ratios (RR), adjusted hazard ratios (aHR), and adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR).
Results:
Forty-nine CLM cases and 486 controls were included. Asthma was diagnosed in 19 (38.8%) CLM cases versus 76 (15.6%) controls (RR = 2.48, 95% CI [1.65-3.73]; p < 0.001). The RR did not differ between surgically and conservatively managed CLM cases (RR = 2.87, 95% CI [0.45-18.32]; p = 0.234). CLM cases had a threefold higher hazard of asthma (aHR = 3.24, 95% CI [1.84-5.71]; p < 0.001). Female cases were particularly affected (aHR = 3.92, 95% CI [1.98-7.74]; p < 0.001), with no difference observed in males (aHR = 1.98, 95% CI [0.90-4.37]; p = 0.092). Annually, CLM patients accumulated 71% more asthma-related encounters (aIRR = 1.71, 95% CI [1.28-2.25]; p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Children with CLM are at increased risk of asthma, especially females, with earlier onset and more frequent encounters. These findings highlight the need for long-term respiratory follow-up and objective validation of asthma diagnoses in this population.
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