High prevalence of aeroallergen sensitization among infants of atopic parents.
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.
LeMasters
Grace K
GK
Department of Environmental Health, Division of Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA. Grace.LeMasters@uc.edu
Wilson
Kimberly
K
Levin
Linda
L
Biagini
Jocelyn
J
Ryan
Patrick
P
Lockey
James E
JE
Stanforth
Sherry
S
Maier
Stephanie
S
Yang
Jun
J
Burkle
Jeff
J
Villareal
Manuel
M
Khurana Hershey
Gurjit K
GK
Bernstein
David I
DI
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
D000485:Allergens