Perinatal characteristics and obstetric complications as risk factors for asthma, allergy and eczema at the age of 6 years. Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology. [Clin Exp Allergy] Journal article | | Title | Perinatal characteristics and obstetric complications as risk factors for asthma, allergy and eczema at the age of 6 years. | | Author(s) | Bernsen RM, de Jongste JC, Koes BW, Aardoom HA, van der Wouden JC | | Institution | The Netherlands Department of General Practice, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands. r.bernsen@erasmusmc.nl | | Source | Clin Exp Allergy 2005 Sep; 35(9):1135-40. | | MeSH | Asthma
Birth Weight
Cephalometry
Child
Confounding Factors (Epidemiology)
Eczema
Female
Fetal Development
Gestational Age
Humans
Hypersensitivity
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Labor, Induced
Linear Models
Male
Netherlands
Obstetric Labor Complications
Pregnancy
Risk Factors
| | Abstract | BACKGROUND: Considerable effort has been put into identifying early determinants for atopic disorders. Many studies have evaluated the role of fetal development and obstetric complications. However, the results are not unequivocal.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between perinatal characteristics and obstetric complications, and the presence of reported current asthma, allergy and eczema at the age of 6 years in the framework of a previously conducted study.
METHOD: Seven hundred families in the Netherlands with index children born in 1988-1990 were retrospectively selected. Data were extracted from the Municipal Health Service's records of health examinations of these children and their siblings. These examinations were carried out at the age of 6 years. The records contained data on reported atopic disorders and perinatal characteristics.
RESULTS: Gestational age was inversely related to the risk of asthma (P for trend: 0.03). Children with low birth weight tended to have a lower risk of any allergy, albeit not significant (P=0.07). However, no link was found between neonatal head circumference and atopic disorders. The ratio of neonatal head circumference to birth weight was positively associated with the risk of atopic disorders, especially with the risk of asthma (odds ratio (OR)=1.87; 95% confidence interval (CI(95%))=[1.11, 3.15]). Vacuum extraction was a risk factor for allergy (OR=1.84, CI(95%)=[1.03, 3.28]), but not for asthma. Induced labour was positively associated with the risk of inhalant allergy (OR=2.22, CI(95%)=[1.09, 4.51]) and, to a lesser extent, asthma (OR=1.72, CI(95%)=[0.95, 3.10]). For caesarean section and forcipal extraction there were no such relationships.
CONCLUSIONS: Prematurity is a risk factor for asthma reported at 6 years. A high ratio of head circumference to birth weight is a risk factor for any atopic disorder. Vacuum extraction was associated with a higher risk of allergy, and induced labour is a risk factor for inhalant allergy. All results should be viewed with the possibility of residual confounding. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
| | PubMed ID | 16164438 |
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