International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol 28, 723-727, Copyright © 1999 by International Epidemiological Association
B Xu, J Pekkanen, MR Jarvelin, P Olsen and AL Hartikainen
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested that asthma phenotype could
probably be programmed before birth. The current study examined the impact
of maternal vaginitis and febrile infections during pregnancy on the
subsequent development of asthma among children. METHODS: The analyses were
based on 8088 children from the northern Finland birth cohort, 1985-1986.
RESULTS: The prevalence of asthma at age 7 was 3.5%. Children had a higher
risk of asthma if their mothers experienced vaginitis and febrile
infections during pregnancy, odds ratio (OR) = 1.41, (95% CI: 1.08-1.84)
and 1.65 (95% CI: 1.25-2.18), respectively, after adjusting for other
covariates. There was a clear time trend in risk of childhood asthma
corresponding to the timing of maternal febrile infections in pregnancy.
The adjusted OR for the first, second and third trimesters were 2.08 (95%
CI: 1.13-3.82), 1.73 (95% CI: 1.09- 2.75) and 1.44 (95% CI: 0.97-2.15),
respectively. Maternal history of allergic diseases, birthweight <2500 g
and male gender also seemed to be risk factors for childhood asthma.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that further investigation of the relation
of maternal infections during pregnancy to asthma among children seems
warranted.
ARTICLES
Maternal infections in pregnancy and the development of asthma among offspring
Unit of Environmental Epidemiology, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio, Finland. bxua@ktl.fi
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