Role of maternal drug use and environmental exposure during pregnancy and delivery pattern in allergic infants and toddlers

Abstract

Objective: To understand correlation between maternal drug use and environmental exposure during pregnancy and delivery pattern and allergy in infants and toddlers, and provide theoretical bases for the early prevention and intervention of infantile allergies. Methods: Case control study based on cross-sectional investigation was conducted. Thirty-three cities were selected in China. Randomly cluster sampling method was used to select a community in each city as the study sample, the women with infants aged 0-24 months were interviewed in the form of face-to-face questionnaire survey. Infants and toddlers were divided into two groups: case group, including 2 113 children who had allergic symptoms and were diagnosed with allergic disease, and control group, including 6 303 children who never had symptoms of allergic disease. Results: Children whose parents had allergic disease histories were more likely to have allergic disease (OR=3.950) compared with the children whose mother or father had allergic disease histories (OR=2.277). Maternal use of antibiotics (OR=1.396), disinfector exposure (OR=1.386), smoking exposure (OR=1.301) during pregnancy and cesarean delivery (OR=1.255) were risk factors for allergic disease in infants and toddlers, the differences were significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: It is essential to conduct primary prevention of infant allergy during pregnancy, and it is necessary to avoid unnecessary cesarean delivery and irrational antibiotic use, disinfector and smoking exposures during pregnancy.