title: Preterm birth, infant weight gain, and childhood asthma risk: a meta-analysis of 147,000 European children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preterm birth, low birth weight, and infant catch-up growth seem associated with an increased risk of respiratory diseases in later life, but individual studies showed conflicting results.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We performed an individual participant data meta-analysis for 147,252 children of 31 birth cohort studies to determine the associations of birth and infant growth characteristics with the risks of preschool wheezing (1-4 years) and school-age asthma (5-10 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  First, we performed an adjusted 1-stage random-effect meta-analysis to assess the combined associations of gestational age, birth weight, and infant weight gain with childhood asthma. Second, we performed an adjusted 2-stage random-effect meta-analysis to assess the associations of preterm birth (gestational age <37 weeks) and low birth weight (<2500 g) with childhood asthma outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Younger gestational age at birth and higher infant weight gain were independently associated with higher risks of preschool wheezing and school-age asthma (P < .05). The inverse associations of birth weight with childhood asthma were explained by gestational age at birth. Compared with term-born children with normal infant weight gain, we observed the highest risks of school-age asthma in children born preterm with high infant weight gain (odds ratio [OR], 4.47; 95% CI, 2.58-7.76). Preterm birth was positively associated with an increased risk of preschool wheezing (pooled odds ratio [pOR], 1.34; 95% CI, 1.25-1.43) and school-age asthma (pOR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.18-1.67) independent of birth weight. Weaker effect estimates were observed for the associations of low birth weight adjusted for gestational age at birth with preschool wheezing (pOR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.00-1.21) and school-age asthma (pOR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.01-1.27).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Younger gestational age at birth and higher infant weight gain were associated with childhood asthma outcomes. The associations of lower birth weight with childhood asthma were largely explained by gestational age at birth.
authors: Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Paediatrics, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Agnes M M
authors: AM
authors: Sonnenschein-van der Voort
authors: Department of Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Institute of Pedagogical Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Lidia R
authors: LR
authors: Arends
authors: Department of Paediatrics, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Johan C
authors: JC
authors: de Jongste
authors: EPAR, UMR-S 707 INSERM Paris, Paris, France; EPAR, UMR-S 707, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris 06, Paris, France.
authors: Isabella
authors: I
authors: Annesi-Maesano
authors: David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.
authors: S Hasan
authors: SH
authors: Arshad
authors: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal.
authors: Henrique
authors: H
authors: Barros
authors: Public Health Division of Gipuzkoa, Gipuzkoa, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Mikel
authors: M
authors: Basterrechea
authors: Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish Pediatric Asthma Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Gentofte, Denmark.
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Bisgaard
authors: Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
authors: Leda
authors: L
authors: Chatzi
authors: Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Corpeleijn
authors: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal.
authors: Sofia
authors: S
authors: Correia
authors: Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
authors: Leone C
authors: LC
authors: Craig
authors: Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
authors: Graham
authors: G
authors: Devereux
authors: Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors: Cristian
authors: C
authors: Dogaru
authors: Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Miroslav
authors: M
authors: Dostal
authors: Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, and Pediatric Clinic, County Council of Östergötland County Council, Linköping, Sweden.
authors: Karel
authors: K
authors: Duchen
authors: Department of Genes and Environment, Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Merete
authors: M
authors: Eggesbø
authors: Department of Paediatric Pulmonology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: C Kors
authors: CK
authors: van der Ent
authors: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors: Maria P
authors: MP
authors: Fantini
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy.
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Forastiere
authors: University Children's Hospital Basel (UKBB), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors: Urs
authors: U
authors: Frey
authors: Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Ulrike
authors: U
authors: Gehring
authors: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Gori
authors: Department of Paediatric Pulmonology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Anne C
authors: AC
authors: van der Gugten
authors: Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Lodz, Poland.
authors: Wojciech
authors: W
authors: Hanke
authors: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors: A John
authors: AJ
authors: Henderson
authors: INSERM, Center for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, U1018, Lifelong Epidemiology Of Obesity, Diabetes, and Renal Disease Team, Villejuif, France; University Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Heude
authors: Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain; Center for Public Health Research (CSISP), University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Faculty of nursery and chiropody, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors: Carmen
authors: C
authors: Iñiguez
authors: MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors: Hazel M
authors: HM
authors: Inskip
authors: Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Keil
authors: School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors: Cecily C
authors: CC
authors: Kelleher
authors: National School of Public Health, Athens, Greece.
authors: Manolis
authors: M
authors: Kogevinas
authors: Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish Pediatric Asthma Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Gentofte, Denmark.
authors: Eskil
authors: E
authors: Kreiner-Møller
authors: Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors: Claudia E
authors: CE
authors: Kuehni
authors: Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Leanne K
authors: LK
authors: Küpers
authors: Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors: Kinga
authors: K
authors: Lancz
authors: Section of Social Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Pernille S
authors: PS
authors: Larsen
authors: Department of Paediatric Pneumology and Immunology, Charité University Medical Centre, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Susanne
authors: S
authors: Lau
authors: Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, and Pediatric Clinic, County Council of Östergötland County Council, Linköping, Sweden.
authors: Johnny
authors: J
authors: Ludvigsson
authors: Department of Epidemiology, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: Monique
authors: M
authors: Mommers
authors: Section of Social Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Anne-Marie
authors: AM
authors: Nybo Andersen
authors: Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors: Lubica
authors: L
authors: Palkovicova
authors: Clinical and Experimental Sciences Academic Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors: Katharine C
authors: KC
authors: Pike
authors: Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors: Costanza
authors: C
authors: Pizzi
authors: Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Lodz, Poland.
authors: Kinga
authors: K
authors: Polanska
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy.
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Porta
authors: Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors: Lorenzo
authors: L
authors: Richiardi
authors: David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.
authors: Graham
authors: G
authors: Roberts
authors: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Schmidt
authors: Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Radim J
authors: RJ
authors: Sram
authors: Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain; Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica (IMIM)-Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Jordi
authors: J
authors: Sunyer
authors: Department of Epidemiology, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: Carel
authors: C
authors: Thijs
authors: IB-SALUT, Area de Salut de Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
authors: Maties
authors: M
authors: Torrent
authors: School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors: Karien
authors: K
authors: Viljoen
authors: Centre for Prevention and Health Services Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Alet H
authors: AH
authors: Wijga
authors: Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain; Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Martine
authors: M
authors: Vrijheid
authors: Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Paediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Vincent W V
authors: VW
authors: Jaddoe
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Paediatrics, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Paediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: l.duijts@erasmusmc.nl.
authors: Liesbeth
authors: L
authors: Duijts
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001724:Birth Weight; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain
keywords: Gestational age; asthma; children; cohort studies; epidemiology; infant growth; low birth weight; wheezing