title: Elevated risk of asthma after hospitalization for respiratory syncytial virus infection in infancy.
abstract: Severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in infancy is associated with substantial morbidity worldwide; whether it is a risk factor for childhood asthma is contentious. A systematic review of 28 articles was conducted, summarizing estimates of asthma risk after RSV hospitalization during infancy. Prevalence estimates of asthma, among those hospitalized for RSV in infancy, were from 8% to 63%, 10% to 92%, and 37%, at ages <5, 5 to 11, and ≥ 12 years, respectively. These rates were higher than those among non-hospitalized comparisons. The attributable risk of asthma due to RSV ranged from 13% to 22% and from 11% to 27% among children aged ≤ 5 and aged 5 to 11, respectively, and was 32% among children ≥ 12 years of age. Overall, 59% of asthma prevalence estimates from those previously hospitalized for RSV exceeded 20%, compared to only 6% of non-hospitalized comparison estimates. Despite variability in asthma prevalence estimates after RSV-related hospitalization, available data suggest a link between severe RSV infection in infancy and childhood asthma.
authors.affiliation: Oxford Outcomes, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Shelagh M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Szabo
authors.forename: Adrian R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Gooch
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bradt
authors.forename: Hardy
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wijaya
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index