title: Preschool asthma after bronchiolitis in infancy.
abstract: Asthma risk is lower after wheezing associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) than with non-RSV infection in infancy. RSV is the main wheezing-associated virus in infants aged <6 months. We evaluated the outcome of children hospitalised for bronchiolitis at <6 months of age, with special focus on viral aetiology and early risk factors. Out of 205 infants hospitalised for bronchiolitis at <6 months of age, 127 (62%) attended a control visit at a mean age of 6.5 yrs and the parents of an additional 39 children were interviewed by telephone. Thus, follow-up data collected by identical structured questionnaires were available from 166 (81%) children. Viral aetiology of bronchiolitis, studied on admission by antigen detection or PCR, was demonstrable in 97% of cases. Current asthma was present in 21 (12.7%) children: 8.2% in the 110 former RSV patients versus 24% in non-RSV patients (p=0.01). 45 (27%) children had ever had asthma. In adjusted analyses, atopic dermatitis, non-RSV bronchiolitis and maternal asthma were independently significant early-life risk factors for asthma. The risk of asthma was lower after RSV bronchiolitis than after bronchiolitis caused by other viruses in children hospitalised at <6 months of age.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Research Centre, Tampere University Hospital, Teiskontie 35, 33521 Tampere, Finland. petri.koponen@uta.fi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koponen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helminen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paassilta
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Luukkaala
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korppi
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000378:metabolism; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors