Factors influencing age of onset of wheezing among children with recurrent wheezing and the association of Vitamin D status with atopic manifestations

Abstract

Background: Onset of wheezing before 3 years of age is concerning due to its potential for the development of asthma. Different risk factors, atopic manifestations, and Vitamin D deficiency are attributed to it. Aims: The aim of this study is to assess the factors influencing the age of wheezing onset among children with early-onset recurrent wheezing and the association of Vitamin D status with different atopic manifestations. Subjects And Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 141 children aged from 1 month to 14 years with recurrent wheezing. Onset of wheezing after 36 months was excluded from the study. Different risk factors and atopic manifestations were recorded, and Vitamin D levels were measured. Descriptive analysis, independent t-test, analysis of variance, and regression analysis were done using SPSS version 24.0. Results: Of 141 children, 65 (46.0%) had onset of wheezing at 1 sibling, and atopic dermatitis had regression coefficients of 0.393 (P 0.05). Conclusions: Children with onset of wheezing before 1 year were predominantly male and had a lower birth weight. Vitamin D deficiency does not hasten the onset of wheezing; however, a low birth weight and associated atopic dermatitis hasten the onset of wheezing, and being part of a family with >1 sibling delays onset.