Abstract
This study aims to analyze whether bronchiolitis in children younger than one-year-old contributes to subsequent asthma. Medical data were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. Participants were divided into study (N = 65,559) and control (N = 49,656) groups, depending on whether they had early bronchiolitis. Incidences of asthma, potential comorbidities, and associated medical conditions were compared. The incidence of childhood asthma was significantly higher in the study group (aHR = 1.127, 95% CI: 1.063–1.195). Children with bronchiolitis hospitalization displayed higher asthma risk in the period between two and four years of age. The risk diminished as the children grew up. No relevant synergistic effects were found between bronchiolitis and atopic dermatitis. In conclusion, bronchiolitis before one year of age exhibits predictive value for development of preschool asthma, especially in children with bronchiolitis hospitalizations.
Highlights
Acute bronchiolitis is a common cause of hospitalization in young children and usually presents with cough, wheezing, and dyspnea [1,2]
Further analyses of risk interactions showed that the hazard ratios of childhood asthma were significantly higher in patients without atopic dermatitis who had ever been hospitalized for bronchiolitis (HR = 1.324, 95% C.I: 1.172–1.496)
We demonstrated that bronchiolitis hospitalization contributed to higher risk of subsequent childhood asthma than bronchiolitis outpatient visits
Summary
Acute bronchiolitis is a common cause of hospitalization in young children and usually presents with cough, wheezing, and dyspnea [1,2]. Pediatric atopic diseases include atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and others. These diseases are important childhood health issues and influence the daily life of children to variable degrees. The wheezing and dyspnea observed in asthma resemble the symptoms of bronchiolitis, and several studies have investigated the relationship between these two diseases [3,4]. Available online: http://nhird.nhri.org.tw/en/Data_Subsets.html (accessed on 31 May 2016). C.C.; Chi, H.; Chiu, N.C.; Huang, D.T.; Weng, L.C.; Wang, N.Y.; Huang, F.Y. Viral etiology of acute lower respiratory tract infections in hospitalized young children in Northern Taiwan.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
