New asthma and allergy research presented at 2006 AAAAI Annual Meeting in Miami Beach

MIAMI BEACH - Alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases the risk of atopic dermatitis in infants who are predisposed to the condition, according to new research presented today at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) in Miami Beach.

Allan Linneberg, MD, Research Center for Prevention and Health, Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues followed a total of 24,341 mother-child pairs enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort and information about alcohol consumption was obtained at 12 and 30 weeks of gestation. Information about symptoms, time of onset, and doctor's diagnosis of atopic dermatitis was obtained at 18 months of age.

The study showed the highest risk of atopic dermatitis in early infancy was seen in high risk infants (both parents with allergic diseases) of mothers who consumed 4 or more drinks per week at 30 weeks of gestation, and there was no effect of alcohol during pregnancy beyond early infancy.

Adult-onset asthmatics more likely to have allergic sensitivity
Adult-onset asthmatics are more likely to have allergic sensitivity than childhood-onset asthmatics, according to new research presented today at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the AAAAI in Miami Beach.

Christina M. Abraham, MD, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, and colleagues surveyed 493 pregnant volunteers under the hypothesis that people with childhood-onset asthma that continues when they're adults are more likely to be sensitized to allergens than people who become asthmatics as adults.

The study showed that among current asthmatics, adult-onset asthmatics were more likely to be sensitized to dog and ragweed (9 allergens were tested) than childhood-onset asthmatics. Abraham and colleagues concluded that contrary to their expectations and earlier studies, adult-onset asthmatics were more like to have allergic sensitivity than childhood-onset asthmatics.

Atopy leads to more people suffering from rhinitis and asthma at the same time
Atopy leads for asthmatics to often suffer from rhinitis as well, according to new research presented today at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the AAAAI in Miami Beach.

Miguel A. Tejedor, MD, and colleagues from the Fundacion Hospital Alcorcon, Alcorcon, Spain, conducted the study. Between 1998 and 2003, 12,223 patients from the hospital were diagnosed with rhinitis or asthma, and among the patients with rhinitis, atopic patients had more risk of having asthma, and among patients with asthma, atopic patients had more risk of having rhinitis.

The study concluded that atopy is more likely when people suffer illnesses simultaneously and that gender had only a weak influence on that result.

These studies were presented at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI).

The AAAAI represents allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic disease. Established in 1943, the AAAAI has more than 6,500 members in the United States, Canada and 60 other countries. The AAAAI serves as an advocate to the public by providing educational information and a physician referral directory through its Web site at www.aaaai.org.

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