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Month of birth and childhood atopic diseases in the tropics
Author(s) -
Chew F. T.,
Goh D. Y T.,
Teo J.,
Quak S. H.,
Lee B. W.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1998.tb03797.x
Subject(s) - asthma , medicine , pediatrics , cohort , cohort study , demography , immunology , sociology
Relatiotiship between the month of hirth and prevalence of diagnosed asthma, asthma‐like symptoms (wheezing, nocturnal cough, and exerctse wheezing), rhinitis, and eczema was investigated in four cohorts each ol primary schoolchildren and secondary school (high school) adolescents in Singapore by questionnaire survey. Significantly increased prevalence rates of diagnosed asthtna and asthma‐like symptoms were observed in certain hirth months of the year for two adolescent cohorts, while significant association between birth month and presence of symptoms of rhinitis was found in a cohort of 6‐7‐year‐olds. However, when demographic factors were taken into consideration by multivariate analysis, only the association between asthtna. asthma‐like symptoms, and birth month remained significant in one of the adolescent cohorts. There was, therefore, only a weak association between the month of birth and atopic disease in our schoolchildren. The overall seasonal trends, however, did show two mam seasons (March‐May and September‐November) associated with higher prevalence of these diseases.