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[Respiratory atopy and season of birth: epidemiologic considerations]
Insights
The season of birth, not breastfeeding duration, may influence infant allergic sensitization. Optimal prenatal and environmental conditions are crucial for preventing respiratory allergies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Environmental Health
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Atopic diseases are influenced by various environmental factors.
- A cohort of 320 children was studied to identify these factors.
- Exclusion criteria targeted high-risk infants to isolate specific environmental influences.
Purpose:
- To investigate environmental factors associated with allergic sensitization in infancy.
- To determine the relationship between breastfeeding duration and atopic sensitization.
- To explore the impact of season of birth on the development of atopic disease.
Summary:
- No correlation was found between breastfeeding duration and subsequent atopic sensitization.
- Infants born during peak allergen exposure seasons showed a higher incidence of atopic sensitization.
- The study identified season of birth as a potential risk factor for respiratory allergies.
Impact:
- Findings highlight the challenges in developing effective prophylactic measures for respiratory allergies.
- Emphasizes the importance of prenatal care and improved neonatal/environmental conditions.
- Suggests focusing on optimizing pregnancy, newborn care, and living environments to mitigate allergy risks.
Abstract:
Numerous environmental conditions have been considered factors which may favour atopic disease. 320 children (233 males and 87 females, aged from 1 year and 10 months to 16 years and 6 months) were followed at the Out-patients' Department for Allergology of the V Pediatric Clinic (University of Milano). These children were examined in order to determine possible environmental factors, which could be related to subsequent allergic sensitization in infancy. We excluded all the subjects with a high atopic risk owing to: gestational age under 36 weeks, weight at birth under 2,500 Kg, respiratory distress in infancy, bronchiolitis in the first 6 months of life, particularly unfavourable conditions of the domestic microclimate. We did not find any correlation between the length of the period of breast feeding alone and the subsequent appearance of atopic sensitization. The only factor which could be related to atopic sensitization was the season of birth: the majority of atopic subjects were born in the period of maximum exposure to their respective allergens. Our data underline the difficulty in planning any efficacious prophylactic measure against respiratory allergy, limiting our possibilities to the improvement of assistance during pregnancy and to newborns and to the realization of better hygienic and environmental conditions.