title: Are influences during pregnancy associated with wheezing phenotypes during the first decade of life?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, attention has focused on possible early life origins for asthma. We sought to identify whether factors present during pregnancy were associated with development of childhood wheezing phenotypes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A whole population birth cohort (n=1456) on the Isle of Wight, UK, was followed through to age 10 y. Where possible, information regarding environmental exposures and events during pregnancy was obtained from the maternity records (n=1238). Children were seen at ages 1, 2, 4 and 10 y, and wheezing symptoms were used to define wheezing phenotypes in the first decade (n=1034).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Risk of early-onsetpersistent wheeze (onset in the first 4 y, still present at age 10) was increased by environmental tobacco smoke exposure in pregnancy (OR=2.44; 95% CI: 1.37-4.34) plus maternal asthma (3.57; 1.84-6.94), but reduced by cat ownership (0.30; 0.13-0.62). Early transient wheeze (onset in the first 4 y, but not present at age 10) was increased by environmental tobacco smoke exposure (1.58; 1.02-2.45), male gender (1.68; 1.09-2.60) and low birthweight (3.65; 1.27-10.52). No environmental factors in pregnancy were associated with late-onset persistent wheeze (onset after age 4 y, still present at 10 y).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to genetics, maternal exposures during pregnancy show association with childhood and especially early-life wheezing phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: David Hide Asthma & Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ramesh J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kurukulaaratchy
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Waterhouse
authors.forename: Sharon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Sayed H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Arshad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology