366 Is Maternal Age at Delivery Related to Childhood Allergy?

Abstract

Background: The frequency of atopic diseases appears to have been increasing during recent decades. There has been a large rise in the development of precipitating factors. Several studies report that allergic diseases depend on maternal age at delivery.

Aim: The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between maternal age at delivery and the prevalence of atopic symptoms.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study included 124 children aged 4 months-16,5 years (average age 4,87 years) was investigated by the questionnaire. The group of children with allergy (group A) consisted of 65(52,4%) patients and in the control group(B) there were 59(47,6%) children. All mothers were questioned about the age at delivery, family atopic history, and children atopic diseases records.

Results: The enrolled children were divided into 3 groups: 1st maternal age at birth was <25 (n=39; 31,4%), 2nd- 26–30 (n=56; 45,2%), 3rd- >30 (n=29; 23,4%). The 1st group showed atopic symptoms in 59%(16), for 2nd group it was 50%(28), 3rd -48,3%(14). The mean age at birth of children with allergy symptoms(gr.A) was 27,7 years while it was 28,2 for the children without allergy symptoms(gr.B). In the group A 80%(n=52) children suffered from respiratory symptoms, 32,3%(n=21) - skin allergy, 10,8%(n=7) met criteria for food allergy. In those three groups the mean maternal age at delivery was respectively 28,03; 28,33 and 27,86 years.

Conclusions: 1.The allergy symptoms were more frequent in the children whose maternal age at birth was <25 years, however the distribution was not statistically significant. 2.The difference between average ages in the groups A and B was not statistically significant. 3.Our study has not demonstrated any association between the maternal age at birth and the allergy symptoms in the child and has not confirmed previous reports. 4.We assume that further research should be performed.

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