title: Prenatal factors and use of anti-asthma medications in early childhood: a population-based Danish birth cohort study.
abstract: To examine whether fetal growth indicators and other prenatal factors were associated with the use of anti-asthma medications during the first year of life, we conducted a follow-up study based on birth registry and prescription registry data of the county of North Jutland, Denmark. We identified 9705 singletons born between 1 April 1996 and 31 December 1997. They were followed to the end of the first year of life by linkage with a prescription registry. Prescription for asthma was defined as both a beta-agonist and an inhaled glucocorticoid prescription. A prescription for asthma was presented to 3.8% of the infants during the first year of life. Maternal asthma, male gender, maternal smoking, multiparous births, young maternal age, and maternal non-cohabitation were associated with the risk of receiving a prescription for asthma. There were slightly increased trends in the risk with birth weight and placental weight. The increased risk was more pronounced in the groups of birth weight > or = 3800 g (adjusted OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 0.88-1.73) and placental weight > or = 750 g (adjusted OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.10-1.88). The increased risk was also associated with a high ponderal index of > or = 2.7 g/cm3 (adjusted OR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.06-1.76).
authors.affiliation: Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. yuanwei@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fonager
authors.forename: Jørn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: Henrik Toft
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000196:embryology* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents