Association of growth trajectory profiles in early life with asthma development

Published: November 13, 2021

Earlier studies suggested associations of aberrant growth trajectories with asthma development both in high-risk and general populations. However, little is known about the integrated role of growth trajectory and allergic predisposition in the development of childhood asthma.

In The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, Nanishi and colleagues identified growth trajectory profiles—derived from BMI-for-age at ages 0, 6, 12, 15, 18, 24, and 36 months by using a longitudinal clustering method. They examined associations between growth trajectory profiles and asthma development by age 5 years.

The longitudinal clustering identified five distinct profiles: persistent low growth (27%), normative growth (33%), transient overweight (21%), late-onset overweight (16%), and persistent obesity (3%) profiles. Compared to children with a normative growth profile, those with a persistent obesity profile had a significantly higher risk of developing asthma. Among children with a persistent obesity profile, those without allergic predisposition had a significantly higher risk of asthma, while those with allergic predisposition were not at increased risk. The present study demonstrated distinct growth trajectory profiles that have differential risks for developing asthma. It provides evidence for the early identification of children at high risk for asthma development and offers opportunities for early targeted prevention interventions.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice is an official journal of the AAAAI, focusing on practical information for the practicing clinician.

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