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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
05:31

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels

Published on: August 7, 2017

Atopic disease and month of birth

J M Smith, V H Springett

    Clinical Allergy
    |March 1, 1979
    PubMed

    Insights

    Asthma in children shows a seasonal birth pattern, with more cases born between May and October. This trend is linked to sensitization to dust mites, suggesting early-life factors may influence asthma development.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
    • Environmental Epidemiology

    Background:

    • Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children.
    • Seasonal variations in asthma prevalence have been observed, but the underlying causes are not fully understood.
    • Early-life environmental exposures are suspected to play a role in asthma development.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the month of birth distribution in children diagnosed with asthma.
    • To explore potential links between birth season, allergic sensitization, and asthma development.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of birth months for 1715 children with asthma.
    • Comparison of birth month distribution with the general population of England and Wales.
    • Examination of allergic sensitization patterns (hay fever, grass pollen, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) in relation to birth season.

    Main Results:

    • A higher proportion of children with asthma (54.8%) were born between May and October compared to the general population (50.2%).
    • This seasonal birth pattern was not explained by hay fever or grass pollen sensitization.
    • Children with asthma and positive skin reactions to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus showed a significant overrepresentation of births between May and October (56.2%).

    Conclusions:

    • The month of birth may be a relevant factor in childhood asthma.
    • Sensitization to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in early life might be associated with the observed seasonal birth pattern in asthmatic children.
    • Further research into early-life sensitization is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms behind this association.

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