title: High prevalence of aeroallergen sensitization among infants of atopic parents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present methodology to identify atopic parents and determine the prevalence of sensitization to 15 aeroallergens in their infant offspring.
  
  
  METHODS
  A birth cohort of infants was identified from birth records; an infant was enrolled if 1 of the parents reported allergy respiratory symptoms and had a positive skin prick test (SPT) to a common aeroallergen. At age 1 year, these infants were tested to the same aeroallergens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 680 enrolled infants, 28.4% were SPT+ to 1 or more aeroallergens and/or food, and 18.0% were positive to 1 or more aeroallergens. By category of allergens, 9.7% were sensitized to pollens, 7.5% to molds, 4.3% to house dust mite and/or cockroach, and 3.4% to dog and/or cat. Of the infants who were positive to an aeroallergen, 65.7% remained positive at age 2 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infants born to atopic parents with percutaneous sensitization to aeroallergens are at increased risk for aeroallergen sensitization during infancy, which persists to age 2 years. These findings suggest that current clinical practices, which generally avoid skin testing before age 2 years, be reassessed in this population of high-risk children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Division of Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA. Grace.LeMasters@uc.edu
authors.forename: Grace K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: LeMasters
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Biagini
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lockey
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stanforth
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burkle
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villareal
authors.forename: Gurjit K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Khurana Hershey
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D012882:Skin Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens