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Effect of mite‐impermeable mattress encasings and an educational package on the development of allergies in a multinational randomized, controlled birth‐cohort study – 24 months results of the Study of Prevention of Allergy in Children in Europe
Author(s) -
Horak F.,
Matthews S.,
Ihorst G.,
Arshad S. H.,
Frischer T.,
Kuehr J.,
Schwieger A.,
Forster J.
Publication year - 2004
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2004.02024.x
Subject(s) - medicine , allergy , asthma , house dust mite , cohort , pediatrics , pyroglyphidae , prospective cohort study , cohort study , sensitization , randomized controlled trial , mite , allergen , immunology , botany , biology
Summary Background Sensitization to house dust mite (HDM) is an important risk factor for the development of asthma and allergic disease in childhood. Higher levels of HDM allergen are linked to increased sensitization to HDM. Objective To study the effect of mite‐impermeable mattress encasings and an educational package on the development of allergies in a newborn cohort. Methods Six hundred and ninety‐six newborns at high risk of developing allergies were enrolled in three European countries (Germany, Austria, UK) in a prospective, randomized, controlled birth‐cohort study. Children were randomly assigned to an intervention and control group. Intervention measures included the use of mite‐impermeable mattress encasings for the child's bed and a simple educational package on allergen avoidance. The control group received basic information about allergies. Children were followed up at age 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Results 80.9% of the children were followed up to the age of 24 months. No difference in the prevalence of sensitization to HDM (control vs. intervention group: 8.4% vs. 6.1%, P =0.33) or the development of symptoms (recurrent wheezing 10.3% vs. 10.7%, nocturnal cough 12.5% vs. 12.5%) or allergic diseases (asthma 3.5% vs. 5.1%, eczema 20.0% vs. 19.6%, rhinitis 28.9% vs. 25.8%) could be found between the control and intervention group. Conclusion In this study, HDM avoidance did not show a protective effect on the development of sensitization to HDM or symptomatic allergy in children at age 24 months.