title: Risk factors associated with wheezing in infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to identify possible risk factors associated with wheezing in infants (12-15 months-old) in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  this was a cross-sectional study performed by applying a standardized written questionnaire from the international study on wheezing in infants (Estudio Internacional de Sibilancia en Lactantes - EISL), phase 3. Parents and/or guardians of infants were interviewed at primary health care clinics or at home from August of 2009 to November of 2010. Factors associated to wheezing were studied using bivariate and multivariate analysis (using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences [SPSS] v.18.0), and expressed as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  the written questionnaire was answered by 1,060 parents and/or guardians. The risk factors for wheezing were: history of asthma in the family [mother (OR = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.07-2.43); father (OR = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.22-3.23); siblings (OR = 2.13; 95% CI = 1.18-3.87)]; history of previous pneumonia (OR = 10.80; 95% CI = 4.52-25.77); having had more than six upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) (OR = 2.95; 95% CI = 2.11-4.14); having had first URTI before the third month of life (OR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.04-2.17); living in a moderately polluted area (OR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.08-2.33); paracetamol use for URTI (OR = 2.13; 95% CI = 1.54-2.95); and antibiotic use for skin infection (OR = 2.29; 95% CI = 1.18-4.46).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the study of risk factors for wheezing in the first year of life is important to help physicians identify young children at high risk of developing asthma and to improve public health prevention strategies in order to reduce the morbidity of wheezing in childhood.
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil. Electronic address: lslm44@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lillian S L
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: Olga A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mallol
authors.forename: Dirceu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Solé
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009017:Morbidity; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Asma; Asthma; Fatores de risco; Infant; Lactente; Risk factors; Sibilos; Wheezing