title: Pneumonia in the first 2 years of life, and asthma in preschool-age children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between viral bronchiolitis in early infancy and subsequent wheezing and asthma has been well established. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to test the hypothesis that pneumonia severe enough to require hospitalization during the first 2 years of life could also be associated with asthma or asthma-like symptoms in pre-school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structured interviews were conducted with parents of children who were classified as exposed (n= 36) or non-exposed (n= 84), based on whether they were hospitalized with radiologically confirmed pneumonia during the first 2 years of life. The main outcomes were ever physician-diagnosed asthma, asthma-like symptoms and use of anti-asthmatic medications during the last 2 months and during the last 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of ever physician-diagnosed asthma was higher in the exposed group compared with the non-exposed group (41.6% vs 22.6%, P= 0.01), with an adjusted prevalence ratio of 2.03 (95% confidence interval: 1.10-3.62). The exposed group had a trend toward a higher prevalence of asthma-like symptoms and use of anti-asthmatic medications during the last 2 months and during the last 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Radiologically confirmed pneumonia in the first 2 years of life may be associated with asthma or asthma-like symptoms in pre-school children.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Postgraduate Program on Health, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil.
authors.forename: José C H
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Linjie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Paula K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Menegatti
authors.forename: Camila S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Guasselli
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Celso Filho
authors.forename: Lina R D M
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Maito
authors.forename: Marina F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Monallisa C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wainwright
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents