For a study, researchers sought to compare and contrast the age-specific associations of asthma, allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis, and atopic dermatitis in children with early-life infection-related factors (i.e., daycare, older siblings, and severe airway infection) and developmental adaptations (i.e., preterm birth and rapid weight gain). Children were tracked for 0.5 to 11 years in this longitudinal cohort research (n=47,015). The potential risks and protective factors were assessed using multivariable logistic regression with adjustments for potential confounders, including daycare attendance at 0.5 years, the presence of older siblings, a history of hospitalization due to cold/bronchitis/bronchiolitis/pneumonia during 0.5–1.5 years, preterm birth, and rapid weight gain in the first 2.5 years. At 5.5–9 years, a protective relationship was shown between early-life daycare attendance and asthma, which vanished after 10 years. Early daycare attendance was also linked to a lower risk of allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis in older siblings throughout childhood. On the other hand, early childcare has been linked to an increased risk of atopic dermatitis in children. Early-life hospitalization for colds, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, or pneumonia, on the other hand, was found as a risk factor for asthma and allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis. Childhood asthma was found to be linked to preterm birth. The link between early daycare, severe airway infection, preterm birth, and atopy-related disorders in childhood was shown to have age-specific patterns.
Source:onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pai.13771
