[Perinatal exposure to tobacco and respiratory and allergy symptoms in first years of life].
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the relationship between prenatal and postnatal tobacco exposure and the development of respiratory and allergy symptoms during the first 4 years of life.


METHODS
Prospective and multicentred cohort study that included the subjects belonging to AMICS (Asthma Multicentred Infant Cohort Study) located in Ashford (England), Barcelona and Minorca (Spain). We recruited 1611 children, followed from the pregnancy to the 4th year of life, whose parents annually answered a questionnaire on their tobacco consumption and their children's respiratory and allergy health. In the Barcelona cohort (n=487) a tobacco exposure biomarker (cotinine) was analysed on several matrices.


RESULTS
Prenatal tobacco exposure is associated with a greater risk of hospitalisation due to respiratory infection, particularly in the second year of life, whereas postnatal tobacco exposure is associated more strongly with the presence of late wheezing presence and increases in the chance of being diagnosed with asthma at 4 years of age. The children prenatally and postnatally exposed had more persistent wheezing, persistent rhoncus, early cough, a higher number of upper respiratory infections per year and a greater number were diagnosed with asthma. The higher the levels of cotinine measured, the higher was the risk for wheezing. No relationship was seen between tobacco exposure and atopic symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Passive smoke exposure during pregnancy and childhood has very distinct clinical respiratory effects in children. Therefore, smoking cessation of childbearing age women must be a priority of preventive medicine.
Fríguls
Bibiana
B
Unitat de Recerca Infància i Entorn (URIE), Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, España.
García-Algar
Oscar
O
Puig
Carme
C
Figueroa
Cecilia
C
Sunyer
Jordi
J
Vall
Oriol
O
D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution