title: Neonatal bilirubin levels and childhood asthma in the US Collaborative Perinatal Project, 1959-1965.
abstract: Evidence shows that asthma originates in early life. Studies have found that phototherapy and/or neonatal jaundice may be associated with asthma. We investigated the association between neonatal bilirubin levels and childhood asthma without phototherapy intervention in the Collaborative Perinatal Project, a multicenter prospective cohort study conducted in the United States from 1959 to 1965. A total of 54,795 livebirths were included, and 40,063 children were followed up until 7 years of age or older. Total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels were examined at 48 hours postpartum in newborns with birthweights of 2,250 g or more. Information on asthma and other diseases through age 7 years was summarized and confirmed by a group of pediatricians and child neurologists. Among 28,807 term infants, the overall prevalence of asthma was 5.26%. Risks of asthma increased with both maximum TSB levels and TSB levels at 48 hours postpartum (P for trend < 0.01). Neonatal maximum TSB levels greater than 15 mg/dL were associated with a 61% increase in the risk of childhood asthma (odds ratio = 1.61, 95% confidence interval: 1.04, 2.08) after adjustment for confounders. In this prospective cohort study of infants born at a time when phototherapy was unavailable, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia was associated with an increased risk of childhood asthma.
authors.forename: Lisu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yixiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Zongli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yongjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051556:Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D001663:Bilirubin
keywords: asthma; bilirubin; immaturity; perinatal exposure; phototherapy