SELECTED ARTICLES FROM THE RECENT LITERATURE 2004

12/13/04

Characteristics of parental atopy as factors in childhood asthma

Summary
Background - A history of atopy and/or asthma in the parents is considered an important risk factor for asthma developing in the child. But are there certain characteristics of this parental atopy that are particularly associated with increased risk for childhood asthma?

Findings - Alford et al of the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, MI analyzed the course of a cohort of children of 476 families from birth until ages 6-7 years. They found that development of asthma in a child was more closely associated with the paternal history of atopy/asthma than the maternal atopy//asthma history. Asthma history in the father (past or present) was significantly associated with asthma occurring in the children. Such asthma in the fathers in their childhood with or without persistence of wheezing into adulthood was associated with atopy in their children whereas adult onset asthma in the fathers was not associated.

Reference
J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004;114:1046-50

Editor's Comments
These interesting findings were somewhat surprising to me. Most previous studies of which I am aware have found that maternal asthma history is more of a risk factor than paternal asthma history for asthma occurring in the child. Perhaps it is because the parental history was obtained in more detail in the study described above.

 

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