Incidence Of Childhood Asthma Research Articles

Network Analysis Reveals Protein Modules Associated with Childhood Respiratory Diseases.

The first year of life is a period of rapid immune development that can impact health trajectories and the risk of developing respiratory-related diseases, such as asthma, recurrent infections, and eczema. However, the biology underlying subsequent disease development remains unknown. Using weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA), we derived modules of highly correlated immune-related proteins in plasma samples from children at age 1 year (N=294) from the Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial (VDAART). We applied regression analyses to assess relationships between protein modules and development of childhood respiratory diseases up to age 6 years. We then characterized genomic, environmental, and metabolomic factors associated with modules. WGCNA identified four protein modules at age 1 year associated with incidence of childhood asthma and/or recurrent wheeze (P adj range: 0.02-0.03), respiratory infections (P adj range: 6.3×10-9-2.9×10-6), and eczema (P adj =0.01) by age 6 years; three modules were associated with at least one environmental exposure (P adj range: 2.8×10-10-0.03) and disrupted metabolomic pathway(s) (P adj range: 2.8×10-6-0.04). No genome-wide SNPs were identified as significant genetic risk factors for any protein module. Relationships between protein modules with clinical, environmental, and 'omic factors were temporally sensitive and could not be recapitulated in protein profiles at age 6 years. These findings suggested protein profiles as early as age 1 year predicted development of respiratory-related diseases through age 6 and were associated with changes in pathways related to amino acid and energy metabolism. These may inform new strategies to identify vulnerable individuals based on immune protein profiling.

Association of Pregnant Women's Perinatal Depression with Sociodemographic, Anthropometric and Lifestyle Factors and Perinatal and Postnatal Outcomes: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: In recent decades, the incidence of depression has gradually increased in the general population globally. Depression is also common during gestation and could result in detrimental gestational complications for both the mother and the fetus. The survey presented aimed to evaluate whether pregnant women's perinatal depression could be associated with socio-demographic, anthropometry and lifestyle factors, and perinatal and postnatal outcomes. Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey conducted on 5314 pregnant women. Socio-demographic and lifestyle factors were recorded by relevant questionnaires via face-to-face interviews. Anthropometric parameters were measured by qualified personnel. Perinatal depressive symptomatology status was evaluated by Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-II) questionnaire. Results: Depressive symptoms throughout gestation were found in 35.1% of the enrolled women. Perinatal depression was significantly associated with lower educational and economic level, pre-pregnancy regular smoking and reduced levels of Mediterranean diet adherence levels, a higher prevalence of gestational diabetes and preterm birth, as well as a higher incidence of delivering by caesarean section and abnormal childbirth weight. Perinatal depression was also significantly associated with a higher prevalence of maternal postpartum depression and lower prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practices, as well as with a higher incidence of childhood asthma. Conclusions: Pregnant women's perinatal depression appears to be associated with various socio-demographic, anthropometry, and lifestyle characteristics and with a higher frequency of several adverse pregnancy complications. The present findings emphasize the importance of pregnant women's perinatal mental health, highlighting the need to develop and apply public strategies and policies for psychological counseling and support of future mothers to minimize probable risk factors that may trigger perinatal depression. Novel well-organized, follow-up surveys of enhanced validity are highly recommended to establish more definitive conclusions.

Global, regional and national epidemiology of allergic disorders in children from 1990 to 2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019

ObjectiveThis modelling study aimed to estimate the burden for allergic diseases in children during a period of 30 years.DesignPopulation-based observational study.Main outcomes and measuresThe data on the incidence, mortality and...

Residential surrounding greenness and the incidence of childhood asthma: Findings from a population-based cohort in Ontario, Canada

Several epidemiological studies have investigated the possible role that living in areas with greater amounts of greenspace has on the incidence of childhood asthma. These findings have been inconsistent, and few studies explored the relevance of timing of exposure. We investigated the role of residential surrounding greenness on the risk of incident asthma using a population-based retrospective cohort study. We included 982,131 singleton births in Ontario, Canada between 2006 and 2013. Two measures of greenness, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Green View Index (GVI), were assigned to the residential histories of these infants from pregnancy through to 12 years of age. Longitudinally-based diagnoses of asthma were determined by using provincial administrative health data. The extended Cox hazards model was used to characterize associations between greenness measures and asthma (up to age 12 years) while adjusting for several risk factors. In a fully adjusted model, that included a term for traffic-related air pollution (NO2), we found no association between an interquartile range increase (0.08) of the NDVI during childhood and asthma incidence (HR = 0.99; 95 % CI = 0.99–1.01). In contrast, we found that an 0.08 increase in NDVI during childhood reduced the risk of asthma in children 7–12 years of age by 14 % (HR = 0.86, 95 % CI:0.79–0.95). Seasonal differences in the association between greenness and asthma were noted. Our findings suggest that residential proximity to greenness reduces the risk of asthma in children aged 7–12.

The association between flooring materials and childhood asthma: A prospective birth cohort in the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Childhood asthma is known to be affected by a range of factors, including conditions in the indoor environment. While flooring material influences indoor air conditions, the potential association between flooring materials and childhood asthma remains poorly understood in Japan. The present study aims to assess the association between childhood asthma incidence and the primary flooring material with the ongoing prospective nationwide birth cohort data of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS). The JECS gathered data on mothers and children through 15 Regional Centres across Japan. The present study assessed flooring materials used in the home and asthma incidence at age four among children born between 2011 and 2014. We implemented logistic regressions, setting asthma incidence among the children as the outcome and home floor type as the exposure. Additional analyses were conducted, stratifying the home's age as a proxy for tatami age, to assess whether the potential effect of tatami flooring on asthma risk is influenced by its age. The present study included total of 75,629 infants. For tatami flooring, the main multivariable regression and additional sub-group regression for homes over ten years old produced odds ratios of 1.09; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [1.01-1.17] and 1.10; 95% CI [1.00-1.21] compared with flooring, respectively. These results imply that exposure to tatami flooring, particularly in older homes, may be associated with childhood asthma incidence. Moreover, our study highlights the importance of evaluating the relationship between regional and cultural differences between asthma and flooring materials.

Childhood Asthma Incidence, Early and Persistent Wheeze, and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Factors in the ECHO/CREW Consortium.

Childhood Asthma Incidence, Early and Persistent Wheeze, and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Factors in the ECHO/CREW Consortium.

Risk of Incident Asthma Among Young Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Children from Age 3 to 7 Years in a Northern California Healthcare System

Incident childhood asthma risk has not been examined among diverse Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander subgroups. In a large California healthcare system, incident asthma was higher among young Filipino/a, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and South Asian children compared with non-Hispanic White children, whereas Chinese and Japanese children were similar.

Maternal gestational diabetes mellitus and the childhood asthma in offspring: a meta-analysis

BackgroundMaternal diabetes might be related to a high risk of allergic disease in offspring. However, it remains unknown if maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is also associated with a high incidence of childhood asthma in offspring. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to investigate the above association.MethodsRelevant observational studies were obtained by search of electronic databases including Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. A randomized-effects model was selected to pool the data by incorporating the influence of potential heterogeneity. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used for study quality evaluation. Subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate the potential influences of study characteristics on the outcome.ResultsTen datasets from seven moderate to high quality cohort studies, involving 523,047 mother-child pairs were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, maternal GDM was associated with a higher risk of childhood asthma in offspring (risk ratio [RR]: 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07 to 1.39, p = 0.003; I2 = 30%). Subgroup analyses showed that the association was not significantly affected by study design, validation methods for GDM, or diagnostic strategy for asthma (p for subgroup analyses all > 0.05). The association between maternal GDM and asthma in offspring was more remarkable after adjusting maternal body mass index in early pregnancy (RR: 1.50 versus 1.06, p < 0.001), but significantly weakened after adjusting hypertensive disorders during pregnancy (RR: 1.08 versus 1.50, p = 0.001).ConclusionsMaternal GDM may be associated with an increased incidence of childhood asthma in offspring.

Prenatal exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances and the incidence of asthma in early childhood

Exposure to polyand perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in early life may increase the risk of childhood asthma, but evidence has been inconsistent. We estimated associations between maternal serum concentrations of PFAS during pregnancy and clinician-diagnosed asthma incidence in offspring through age eight. We included 597 mother-child pairs with PFAS quantified in mid-pregnancy serum and childhood medical records reviewed for asthma diagnoses. We used separate Cox proportional hazards models to assess the relationship between log-transformed concentrations of five PFAS and the incidence of asthma. We estimated associations between the PFAS mixture and clinician-diagnosed asthma incidence using quantile-based g-computation. PFAS concentrations were similar to those among females in the US general population. Seventeen percent of children (N = 104) were diagnosed with asthma during follow-up. Median (interquartile range) duration of follow-up was 4.7 (4.0, 6.2) years, and median age at asthma diagnosis was 1.7 (0.9, 2.8) years. All adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were elevated, but all 95% confidence intervals (CI) included the null. The HR (95% CI) of asthma for a one-quartile increase in the PFAS mixture was 1.17 (0.86, 1.61). In this cohort of children followed to eight years of age, prenatal PFAS concentrations were not significantly associated with incidence of clinician-diagnosed asthma.

BREAST FEEDING AND THE RISK OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA IN CHILDHOOD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Introduction: Approximately 339 million children (4.3% of all patients) worldwide suffer from asthma. Multiple studies have demonstrated that exclusive lactation for the first six months of a child's life can reduce the risk and protect against allergies, including asthma, in children. Asthma and allergies are influenced by a number of variables, including breastfeeding. It is suspected that there is a relationship between breastfeeding and the occurrence of asthma.&#x0D; Objective: To determine the relationship between breastfeeding and the occurrence of asthma&#x0D; Methods: This systematic study used PRISMA guidelines, by selecting 238 keyword searches in multiple databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science) on August 19, 2023. ((breastfeeding) AND (Risk) OR (Relation) OR (influence) AND (Pediatric) OR (Children) AND (Bronchial) AND (Asthma)) are used as keywords. The data obtained is extracted according to the results obtained.&#x0D; Results: There were 5 studies after selection was conducted, each study discussed the relationship between the benefits of breastfeeding on the occurrence of bronchial asthma in childhood. 3 cohort studies, 1 cross sectional, and 1 case series were obtained. The total sample in this study was 13,629. Age range 1 month to 6 years. &#x0D; Conclusion: Studies have shown that exclusive breastfeeding can reduce wheezing episodes and reduce the incidence of bronchial asthma in children up to a certain age. Exclusive breastfeeding can improve immune regulation and protect children from asthma.

School building energy efficiency and NO2 related risk of childhood asthma in England and Wales: Modelling study

BackgroundClimate change legislation will require dramatic increases in the energy efficiency of school buildings across the UK by 2050, which has the potential to affect air quality in schools. We assessed how different strategies for improving the energy efficiency of school buildings in England and Wales may affect asthma incidence and associated healthcare utilization costs in the future. MethodsIndoor concentrations of traffic-related NO2 were modelled inside school buildings representing 13 climate regions in England and Wales using a building physics school stock model. We used a health impact assessment model to quantify the resulting burden of childhood asthma incidence by combining regional health and population data with exposure-response functions from a recent high-quality systematic review/meta-analysis. We compared the effects of four energy efficiency interventions consisting of combinations of retrofit and operational strategies aiming to improve indoor air quality and thermal comfort on asthma incidence and associated hospitalization costs. ResultsThe highest childhood asthma incidence was found in the Thames Valley region (including London), in particular in older school buildings, while the lowest concentrations and health burdens were in the newest schools in Wales. Interventions consisting of only operational improvements or combinations of retrofit and operational strategies resulted in reductions in childhood asthma incidence (547 and 676 per annum regional average, respectively) and hospital utilization costs (£52,050 and £64,310 per annum regional average, respectively. Interventions that improved energy efficiency without operational measures resulted in higher childhood asthma incidence and hospital costs. ConclusionThe effect of school energy efficiency retrofit on NO2 exposure and asthma incidence in schoolchildren depends critically on the use of appropriate building operation strategies. The findings from this study make several contributions to fill the knowledge gap about the impact of retrofitting schools on exposure to air pollutants and their effects on children's health.

Early-Life Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution from Multiple Sources and Asthma Incidence in Children: A Nationwide Birth Cohort Study from Denmark.

Ambient air pollution exposure has been associated with childhood asthma, but previous studies have primarily focused on prevalence of asthma and asthma-related outcomes and urban traffic-related exposures. We examined nationwide associations between pre- and postnatal exposure to ambient air pollution components and asthma incidence in children age 0-19 y. Asthma incidence was identified from hospital admission, emergency room, and outpatient contacts among all live-born singletons born in Denmark between 1998 and 2016. We linked registry data with monthly mean concentrations of particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter () and PM with aerodynamic diameter (), nitrogen dioxide (), nitrogen oxides, elemental carbon, and organic carbon (OC), sulfur dioxide, ozone, sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, secondary organic aerosols, and sea salt. Associations were estimated with Cox proportional hazard models using fixed prenatal exposure means and time-varying postnatal exposures. Of the 1,060,154 children included, 6.1% had asthma during the mean follow-up period of 8.8 y. The risk of asthma increased with increasing prenatal exposure to all pollutants except for and sea salt. We also observed increased risk after restriction to asthma after age 4 y, after additional adjustment for area-specific socioeconomic status, and for postnatal exposure to most pollutants. The hazard ratio (HR) associated with an interquartile range increase of 2.4 and in prenatal exposure was 1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 1.08] for and 1.04 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.05) for , respectively. This association with was stable after adjustment for , whereas it attenuated for to 1.01 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.03) after adjustment for . For a increase in prenatal OC exposure, for which biomass is an important source, the HR was 1.08 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.10), irrespective of adjustment for . These findings suggest that early-life exposure to ambient air pollution from multiple sources contributes to asthma development. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11539.

Air pollution and child health impacts of decarbonization in 16 global cities: Modelling study

Most research on the air pollution-related health effects of decarbonization has focused on adults. We assess the potential health benefits that could be achieved in children and young people in a global sample of 16 cities through global decarbonization actions. We modelled annual average concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at 1x1 km resolution in the cities using a general circulation/atmospheric chemistry model assuming removal of all global combustion-related emissions from land transport, industries, domestic energy use and power generation. We modelled the impact on childhood asthma incidence and adverse birth outcomes (low birthweight, pre-term births) using published exposure–response relationships. Removal of combustion emissions was estimated to decrease annual average PM2.5 by between 2.9 μg/m3 (8.4%) in Freetown and 45.4 μg/m3 (63.7%) in Dhaka. For NO2, the range was from 0.3 ppb (7.9%) in Freetown to 18.8 ppb (92.3%) in Mexico City. Estimated reductions in asthma incidence ranged from close to zero in Freetown, Tamale and Harare to 149 cases per 100,000 population in Los Angeles. For pre-term birth, modelled impacts ranged from a reduction of 135 per 100,000 births in Dar es Salaam to 2,818 per 100,000 births in Bhubaneswar and, for low birthweight, from 75 per 100,000 births in Dar es Salaam to 2,951 per 100,000 births in Dhaka. The large variations chiefly reflect differences in the magnitudes of air pollution reductions and estimated underlying disease rates. Across the 16 cities, the reduction in childhood asthma incidence represents more than one-fifth of the current burden, and an almost 10% reduction in pre-term and low birthweight births. Decarbonization actions that remove combustion-related emissions contributing to ambient PM2.5 and NO2 would likely lead to substantial but geographically-varied reductions in childhood asthma and adverse birth outcomes, though there are uncertainties in causality and the precision of estimates.

Exposure to ultrafine particles and the incidence of asthma in children: A population-based cohort study in Montreal, Canada.

The cohort included all children born and residing in Montreal, Canada, between 2000 and 2015. Children were followed for asthma onset from birth until <13 years of age. Spatially resolved annual mean concentrations of ambient UFPs were estimated from a land use regression model. We assigned prenatal exposure according to the residential postal code at birth. We also considered current exposure during childhood accounting for time-varying residence location. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, neighborhood material and social deprivation, calendar year, and coexposure to ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particles (PM2.5). The cohort included 352,966 children, with 30,825 children developing asthma during follow-up. Mean prenatal and childhood UFP exposure were 24,706 particles/cm3 (interquartile range [IQR] = 3,785 particles/cm3) and 24,525 particles/cm3 (IQR = 3,427 particles/cm3), respectively. Both prenatal and childhood UFP exposure were not associated with childhood asthma onset in single pollutant models (HR per IQR increase of 0.99 [95% CI = 0.98, 1.00]). Estimates of association remained similar when adjusting for coexposure to ambient NO2 and PM2.5. In this population-based birth cohort, childhood asthma onset was not associated with prenatal or childhood exposure to low concentrations of UFPs.

Childhood Asthma Incidence, Early and Persistent Wheeze, and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Factors in the ECHO/CREW Consortium

Childhood Asthma Incidence, Early and Persistent Wheeze, and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Factors in the ECHO/CREW Consortium

US Childhood Asthma Incidence Rate Patterns From the ECHO Consortium to Identify High-risk Groups for Primary Prevention

US Childhood Asthma Incidence Rate Patterns From the ECHO Consortium to Identify High-risk Groups for Primary Prevention

Estimating ambient air pollution mortality and disease burden and its economic cost in Barcelona

BackgroundThe new WHO air quality guidelines indicate that the air pollution disease burden is greater than previously reported. We aimed to estimate the air pollution disease burden and its economic cost in Barcelona to inform local action. MethodsWe used a quantitative health impact assessment to estimate the non-accidental mortality and incidence of childhood asthma and lung cancer attributable to long-term air pollution exposure in the city of Barcelona (Spain) in 2018–2019. We used the population weighted mean of PM2.5 and NO2 assigned at the geocoded address during the study period and the 2021 WHO air quality guidelines as counterfactual scenario to estimate new annual cases attributable to each pollutant separately and combined. We estimated the social cost of attributable deaths and the health care cost of childhood asthma and lung cancer attributable cases. We also estimated attributable mortality by city district and the mortality avoidable by achieving the WHO air quality interim targets. ResultsMean exposure was 17 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 39 μg/m3 for NO2. Total combined air pollution attributable mortality was 13% (95%CI = 9%–17%), corresponding to 1,886 deaths (95%CI = 1,296–2,571) and a social cost of €1,292 million (95%CI = 888–1,762) annually. Fifty-one percent (95%CI = 21%–71%) and 17% (95%CI = 7%–29%) of new cases of childhood asthma and lung cancer were attributable to air pollution with a health care cost of €4.3 and €2.7 million, respectively. Achieving the first unmet WHO air quality interim targets for PM2.5 and for NO2 would avoid 410 deaths and €281 million annually. ConclusionAir pollution in Barcelona represents a huge disease and economic burden, which is greater than previous estimates. Much stronger measures to reduce PM2.5 and NO2 levels are urgently needed. Until the WHO air quality guidelines are met in the city, achieving each WHO air quality interim targets would avoid hundreds of deaths each year.

Benefits of future clean air policies in Europe: Proposed analyses of the mortality impacts of PM2.5 and NO2.

Benefits of future clean air policies in Europe: Proposed analyses of the mortality impacts of PM2.5 and NO2.

From the pages of AllergyWatch

For this edition of From the Pages of AllergyWatch, I have chosen articles from the May to June 2022 AllergyWatch. The first article, with comments from Dr Lee, provides additional insight into hereditary alpha tryptasemia (HαT). The next article, with comments from Dr Knox, reports data from an asthma cohort revealing a much higher incidence of asthma in children in various ethnicities. The last article, with comments from Dr Joshi, evaluates the effect of secondhand smoke exposure on airlines in flight attendants even years after exposure stopped.

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution from multiple sources and associations with asthma incidence in children born in Denmark 1998-2016

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution from multiple sources and associations with asthma incidence in children born in Denmark 1998-2016