Abstract
Acute bronchiolitis, a severe illness of infancy and mostly caused by RS virus, has been associated with the later development of bronchial asthma. The present study reports factors predisposing to bronchiolitis by constitution and environment.
51 infants hospitalized due to acute bronchiolitis, of which 31 had RS virus infection, were seen regularily until two years of age and compared with 24 control children from two health care centres. At two years of age allergological examination by skin prick test, PRIST and RAST as well as quantitation of immunoglobulins were done. Categorized data analysis were used to compare frequencies. Non parametric methods with correction for ties were used to test differences in continously distributed variables.
The index children were of lower birth weigths than their controls (P«0.01). Five index children were born prematurely and two small for date, and six suffered from neonatal respiratory complications. More index children were born during the months April through September (P<0.05). More boys than girls were hospitalized due to bronchiolitis (1.5/1). The index children had more lower respiratory infections previous to the bronchiolitis (P=0.02), and the age at their first respiratory infection was lower (P<0.01).The index children had more siblings (P=0.03), and their siblings more often stayed in day care centres and schools (P=0.01). The index children were breast-fed for a shorter time period (P<0.01) and lived in more crowded homes (P<0.01). Atopy was not more common among the index children than the controls, neither among their parents, nor among their siblings.
At two years of age the index children had suffered from many more respiratory infections than the controls (P<0.01), and even more so for obstructive episodes. At two years of age 60% of the index children had had three or more obstructive episodes. To identify factors predisposing to bronchiolitis may be important in two contexts, one the acute illness of infancy; second the later development of obstructive lung disease.
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Carlsen, K., Larsen, S., Ørstavik, I. et al. FACTORS PREDISPOSING TO ACUTE BRONCHIOLITIS IN INFANCY. Pediatr Res 19, 1096 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198510000-00160
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198510000-00160
