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Perinatal factors and atopic disease in childhood
Author(s) -
FERGUSSON D. M.,
CRANE J.,
BEASLEY R.,
HORWOOD L. J.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
clinical and experimental allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.462
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1365-2222
pISSN - 0954-7894
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2222.1997.1430947.x
Subject(s) - medicine , asthma , atopy , pediatrics , allergy , gestational age , cohort , odds ratio , pregnancy , cohort study , confounding , obstetrics , immunology , biology , genetics
Summary Background Recent work has suggested possible linkages between perinatal factors and notably, head circumference and risks of subsequent atopic illness. Objective To examine the linkages between perinatal factors and risks of atopic conditions in a birth cohort of New Zealand children studied to the age of 16. Methods Measures of atopic illness including asthma, eczema, and other allergies were assessed prospectively during the course of a 16 year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 1265 New Zealand children. In the initial stage of this research, measures of perinatal variables including birthweight, gestational age, head circumference and length at birth were obtained from hospital record data. Results Children with head circumference at birth of 37 cm or greater had (unadjusted) odds of asthma that were 1.8 ( P < 0.01) to 3.0 ( P < 0.0001) times higher than the odds for children of lesser head circumference. However, risks of asthma were not related to other perinatal measures including birthweight, gestational age or length or ratios of these measures. There were no consistent associations between perinatal measures and other measures of childhood atopy including eczema, allergic rhinitis and other allergies. The associations between head circumference and asthma risks persisted when due allowance was made for potentially confounding social and perinatal factors. Conclusions It is concluded that large head circumference at birth may be associated with increased risks for the development of asthma. Possible explanations for the linkages between head circumference and asthma risks are considered.