Preschool asthma after bronchiolitis in infancy

• Published in: The European respiratory journal Vol. 39; no. 1; pp. 76 - 80
• Main Authors: KOPONEN, P, HELMINEN, M, PAASSILTA, M, LUUKKAALA, T, KORPPI, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Leeds Maney 01.01.2012
• Subjects: Age; Age Factors; Asthma; Asthma - complications; Asthma - etiology; Biological and medical sciences; Bronchiolitis - complications; Bronchiolitis - physiopathology; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; Dermatitis; Female; Human viral diseases; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate - complications; Hypersensitivity, Immediate - etiology; Incidence; Infant; Infants; Infection; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Models, Statistical; Pneumology; Prospective Studies; Regression Analysis; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory syncytial virus; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses - metabolism; Rhinovirus - metabolism; Risk Factors; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the respiratory system and ent viral diseases; Viruses; Human; Human respiratory syncytial virus; Allergy; Immunopathology; Lung disease; Pneumovirinae; Respiratory disease; Picornaviridae; Infant; Paramyxoviridae; Asthma; Atopy; Bronchiolitis; Virus; Mononegavirales; Bronchus disease; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Pneumovirus; respiratory syncytial virus; Pneumology; Rhinovirus
• ISSN: 0903-1936; 1399-3003
• DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00040211

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.