Maternal dietary indexes are not linked to early childhood wheezing or atopic eczema.

BACKGROUND: Several recent studies have investigated the association between maternal diet during pregnancy and wheezing or asthma in children. However, whether a specific dietary pattern during pregnancy protects children from wheezing or atopic diseases remains unclear. This study investigated the association between The Alternative Healthy Eating Index for Pregnancy (AHEI-P), the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and the risk for wheezing and atopic eczema in children during the first year of life. METHODS: This study included 1330 mother-child pairs who attended the Kuopio Birth Cohort (KuBiCo) study and had dietary information during the last trimester and information on children's health in the first year of life. AHEI-P and DII indicate a healthy diet and dietary inflammation potential during pregnancy. The AHEI-P and DII were compared with reported wheezing and doctor-diagnosed atopic eczema in children during the first year of life. RESULTS: Neither AHEI-P nor DII is associated with wheezing or atopic eczema in children when analyzed by continuous variables and by tertiles. The odds ratio (95% CI) for AHEI-P and wheezing was 0.99 (0.98-1.01), for AHEI-P and atopic eczema1.01 (0.99-1.02), for DII and wheezing 1.02 (0.95-1.09), and for DII and atopic eczema 0.97 (0.91-1.04). CONCLUSION: In this cohort study, AHEI-P and DII during pregnancy were not associated with wheezing or atopic eczema in the offspring during the first year of life.

Maternal caffeine, coffee and cola drink intake and the risk of gestational diabetes - Kuopio Birth Cohort.

AIMS: Coffee intake is associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes among non-pregnant people. We aimed to investigate the association between caffeine, coffee and cola drink intake in early pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes (GDM). METHODS: Kuopio Birth Cohort (KuBiCo) is a prospective cohort study including pregnant women who were followed at the prenatal clinics in outpatient healthcare centers and gave birth in Kuopio University Hospital, Finland (n=2214). Maternal diet during the first trimester of pregnancy was assessed using a 160-item food frequency questionnaire. GDM was diagnosed by oral glucose tolerance test according to the Finnish national guidelines mainly between 24 and 28 gestational weeks. RESULTS: Women with moderate coffee intake in the first trimester were less likely diagnosed with GDM than women without coffee intake in an age-adjusted model (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.76-0.99; p = 0.03), but the association was attenuated in multi-adjusted models (p = 0.11). No association was found between caffeine intake and GDM. One third (32.4%) of pregnant women consumed caffeine over the recommendation (> 200 mg/d). Women who consumed cola drinks more than the median (33.3 mL/d) had an increased risk of GDM (OR 1.29; 95% CI 1.02-1.63, p = 0.037) in multi-adjusted model compared to those who consumed less. CONCLUSIONS: Caffeine intake during the first trimester of pregnancy was not associated with the risk of GDM but a minor non-significant decrease was seen with moderate coffee intake. Although the average consumption of cola drinks was low in the KuBiCo cohort, higher consumption was associated with an increased risk of GDM. Further studies are needed to evaluate the safe amount of coffee during pregnancy, since the recommended caffeine intake was exceeded in almost half of the coffee drinkers.

Comparative steroid profiling of newborn hair and umbilical cord serum highlights the role of fetal adrenals, placenta, and pregnancy outcomes in fetal steroid metabolism.

Previous steroid hormone studies concerning pregnancy and newborns have mainly focused on glucocorticoids; wider steroid profiles have been less commonly investigated. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of 17 steroids from newborn hair and umbilical cord serum at the time of delivery. The study participants (n = 42, 50% girls) were a part of the Kuopio Birth Cohort and represent usual Finnish pregnancies. The hair and cord serum samples were analyzed with liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry and triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. We detected high individual variations in steroid hormone concentrations in both sample matrices. The concentrations of cortisol (F), corticosterone (B), estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), 11ß-hydroxyandostenedione (11bOHA4), 5α-androstanedione (DHA4), and 17α-hydroxypregnenolone (17OHP5) correlated positively between cord serum and newborn hair samples. In addition, F and 11bOHA4 concentrations correlated positively with each other in both newborn hair and cord serum samples. The cortisone-to-cortisol ratio (E/F) was significantly higher in cord serum than in newborn hair samples reflecting high placental 11ßHSD2 enzyme activity. Only minor sex differences in steroid concentrations were observed; higher testosterone (T) and 11-deoxycortisol (S) with lower 11bOHA4 in male cord serum, and higher DHEA, androstenedione (A4) and 11bOHA4 in female newborn hair samples. Parity and delivery mode were the most significant pregnancy- and birth-related parameters associating with F and some other adrenocortical steroid concentrations. This study provides novel information about intrauterine steroid metabolism in late pregnancy and typical concentration ranges for several newborn hair steroids, including also 11-oxygenated androgens.

Early-life environment and the risk of eczema at 2 years-Meta-analyses of six Finnish birth cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Urban-related nature exposures are suggested to contribute to the rising prevalence of allergic diseases despite little supporting evidence. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of 12 land cover classes and two greenness indices around homes at birth on the development of doctor-diagnosed eczema by the age of 2 years, and the influence of birth season. METHODS: Data from 5085 children were obtained from six Finnish birth cohorts. Exposures were provided by the Coordination of Information on the Environment in three predefined grid sizes. Adjusted logistic regression was run in each cohort, and pooled effects across cohorts were estimated using fixed or random effect meta-analyses. RESULTS: In meta-analyses, neither greenness indices (NDVI or VCDI, 250 m × 250 m grid size) nor residential or industrial/commercial areas were associated with eczema by age of 2 years. Coniferous forest (adjusted odds ratio 1.19; 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.39 for the middle and 1.16; 0.98-1.28 for the highest vs. lowest tertile) and mixed forest (1.21; 1.02-1.42 middle vs. lowest tertile) were associated with elevated eczema risk. Higher coverage with agricultural areas tended to associate with elevated eczema risk (1.20; 0.98-1.48 vs. none). In contrast, transport infrastructure was inversely associated with eczema (0.77; 0.65-0.91 highest vs. lowest tertile). CONCLUSION: Greenness around the home during early childhood does not seem to protect from eczema. In contrast, nearby coniferous and mixed forests may increase eczema risk, as well as being born in spring close to forest or high-green areas.

Vulvovaginal yeast infections, gestational diabetes and pregnancy outcome.

BACKGROUND: The primary aim was to evaluate the association between gestational diabetes and blood glucose levels and vulvovaginal yeast infections in pregnancy. Secondly, we clarified the possible associations between maternal and prenatal factors, and birth outcomes and yeast infections. METHODS: Three thousand nine hundred sixty-five pregnant women of the Kuopio Birth Cohort Study (KuBiCo) reported vulvovaginal yeast infections during pregnancy, via electronic questionnaires. Maternal and prenatal data, as well as clinical obstetric and early neonatal outcomes were registered during and after birth. The oral glucose tolerance test was performed on 3,079 women during pregnancy. Logistic regression analysis evaluated the possible multivariable associations between yeast infections, gestational diabetes and other prenatal and maternal factors. RESULTS: No association was detected between gestational diabetes or blood glucose levels and vulvovaginal yeast infections during pregnancy. In multivariable analysis, women with yeast infections were more often multiparous, with higher education and had used more often antibiotics during pregnancy compared to others. No significant associations were detected in multivariable analysis between infections, the mode of delivery, preterm birth, birth weight or Apgar scores. CONCLUSIONS: Women with reported vulvovaginal yeast infections managed generally well during pregnancy. They had no more gestational diabetes or higher blood glucose levels and their newborns managed equally well during early neonatal period.

Viral wheezing in early childhood as a risk factor for asthma in young adulthood: A prospective long-term cohort study.

Background and Aims: There is an increased risk of asthma after viral wheezing episodes in early childhood, but unfortunately, prospective longitudinal data until adulthood are mostly lacking. The aim of this cohort study was to evaluate the risk of asthma in young adulthood after hospitalization for viral wheezing episodes in early childhood. Methods: The original cohort comprised 100 individuals aged <24 months who were hospitalized for viral wheezing episodes in 1992-1993. After the index episode, data on a diagnosis of asthma 1 year later and at median ages of 4.0, 7.2, and 12.3 years were recorded in follow-up visits. Forty-nine individuals attended the latest follow-up visit at the age of 17-20 years. Current asthma was diagnosed based on symptoms at the time of the last follow-up, use of inhaled corticosteroids and peak expiratory flow monitoring. Results: A total of 26 (53%) of the 49 cohort individuals had asthma at a mean age of 18.8 years. In multivariate analyses, a diagnosis of asthma 1 year after index hospitalization and at ages 4.0, 7.2, and 12.3 years were significant risk factors for current asthma (adjusted odds ratios [aORs] of 7.13, 8.86, 8.05, and 21.16, respectively). Atopic dermatitis in infancy (aOR: 4.20) and eosinophilia on admission (5.18) were also significant predictive factors for asthma. Conclusion: Over half (26/49) of the participants who had been hospitalized for viral wheezing episodes in early childhood had asthma in young adulthood. An asthma diagnosis at any age during childhood, as well as eosinophilia in early childhood, were independent significant predictive factors for asthma.

An increased asthma risk continued until young adulthood after early-childhood hospitalisation for wheezing.

AIM: The aim of this cohort study was to evaluate doctor-diagnosed and self-reported asthma in young adults after early-childhood hospitalisation for wheezing. METHODS: In this prospective-controlled follow-up, questionnaires were sent to 95 subjects aged 24-28 years, who had been hospitalised for their first episodes of wheezing under 24 months of age. Fifty-eight cases and 100 controls returned the questionnaires. RESULTS: The risk of doctor-diagnosed asthma was 2.14-fold (95% confidence interval 0.61-7.41), and the risk of self-reported asthma 2.39-fold (1.14-4.99) in cases compared to controls. The increased risk of self-reported asthma remained as statistically significant in analyses adjusted for current smoking, overweight and allergic rhinitis. Study subjects presented with wheezing symptoms, use of bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids, and with seasonal symptoms presumptive for allergic rhinitis during the last 12 months, more often than controls. The identification of a respiratory syncytial virus or rhinovirus during hospitalisation in early childhood was not anymore associated with asthma risk in adulthood. As expected, previous asthma during early childhood was a strong risk factor for asthma in young adulthood. CONCLUSION: In this controlled questionnaire study, early-childhood hospitalisation for lower respiratory infection with wheezing was an independently significant risk factor of asthma in young adults.

Associations between dog keeping and indoor dust microbiota.

Living with dogs appears to protect against allergic diseases and airway infections, an effect possibly linked with immunomodulation by microbial exposures associated with dogs. The aim of this study was to characterize the influence of dog ownership on house dust microbiota composition. The bacterial and fungal microbiota was characterized with Illumina MiSeq sequencing from floor dust samples collected from homes in a Finnish rural-suburban (LUKAS2, N = 182) birth cohort, and the results were replicated in a German urban (LISA, N = 284) birth cohort. Human associated bacteria variable was created by summing up the relative abundances of five bacterial taxa. Bacterial richness, Shannon index and the relative abundances of seven bacterial genera, mostly within the phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, were significantly higher in the dog than in the non-dog homes, whereas the relative abundance of human associated bacteria was lower. The results were largely replicated in LISA. Fungal microbiota richness and abundance of Leucosporidiella genus were higher in dog homes in LUKAS2 and the latter association replicated in LISA. Our study confirms that dog ownership is reproducibly associated with increased bacterial richness and diversity in house dust and identifies specific dog ownership-associated genera. Dogs appeared to have more limited influence on the fungal than bacterial indoor microbiota.

The impact of postpartum depressive symptoms on self-reported infant health and analgesic consumption at the age of 12 months: A prospective cohort study.

The infants of mothers with elevated depressive symptoms (EDS) postpartum appear to be at increased risk of somatic health problems during their first 12 months of life in low- and lower-middle-income countries. However, in higher-income countries, knowledge of this association is scarce. We sought to examine whether maternal reports of infant health problems, adherence to vaccination schedules and analgesic supply to the infant during the first 12 months of life differ between mothers with and without postpartum EDS. Altogether, 969 women who were enrolled in the Kuopio Birth Cohort study (www.kubico.fi) during 2012-2017 were included in this investigation. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale during pregnancy (1st and/or 3rd trimester) and at eight weeks postpartum. Infant health data were collected as a part of a 12-month online follow-up questionnaire for mothers and were based on self-reports of either maternal observations or physician-determined diagnoses. Postpartum EDS were associated with a 2- to 5-fold increased likelihood of abnormal crying and paroxysmal wheezing (based on parental observations), as well as gastroesophageal reflux and food allergy (based on physician-determined diagnoses). Mothers with postpartum EDS also supplied their infants with analgesic medication for longer periods. Adherence to vaccination schedules was similar between the examined groups. In conclusion, infants of mothers with postpartum EDS may be more likely to experience health problems or to be perceived by their mother as having health problems, and thus receive more medications.

Caffeine content in newborn hair correlates with maternal dietary intake.

PURPOSE: High-maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy may be harmful for perinatal outcomes and future child health, but the level of fetal cumulative exposure has been difficult to measure thus far. Here, we present maternal dietary caffeine intake during the last trimester and its correlation to caffeine content in newborn hair after birth. METHODS: Maternal third trimester diets and dietary caffeine intake were prospectively collected in Kuopio Birth Cohort (KuBiCo) using a 160-item food frequency questionnaire (n = 2840). Newborn hair was collected within 48 h after birth and analyzed by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) for caffeine (n = 316). Correlation between dietary caffeine intake and neonatal hair caffeine content was evaluated from 203 mother-child pairs. RESULTS: Mean dietary caffeine intake was 167 mg/days (95% CI 162-172  mg/days), of which coffee comprised 81%. Caffeine in the maternal diet and caffeine content in newborn hair correlated significantly (r = 0.50; p < 0.001). Older, multiparous, overweight women, and smokers had the highest caffeine levels in the maternal diet, as well as in their newborn babies' hair. CONCLUSION: Caffeine exposure, estimated from newborn hair samples, reflects maternal third trimester dietary caffeine intake and introduces a new method to assess fetal cumulative caffeine exposure. Further studies to evaluate the effects of caffeine exposure on both perinatal and postnatal outcomes are warranted, since over 40% of pregnant women consume caffeine more than the current suggested recommendations (European Food Safety Association, EFSA recommendations).

Long-term health-related quality-of-life data in subjects with a history of wheezing in early childhood.

Background: Wheezing in early childhood has implications for respiratory morbidity in later life. Objectives: We evaluated respiratory health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in young adults ages 17-20 years with a history of early childhood wheezing. Methods: Between 1992 and 1993, 100 children ages < 24 months were treated in the hospital for a lower respiratory tract infection with wheezing, and we followed up this cohort. In 2010, 49 of the patients (cases) and 60 population-based controls attended a clinical follow-up. St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) was used to evaluate respiratory HRQoL, expressed as symptom, activity, impact, and total scores. Results: The median (interquartile range) SGRQ symptom scores were higher (13.7 [3.8-29.1]) in the 49 subjects (cases) with early childhood wheezing compared with the 60 population controls (7.8 [0.0-18.3]; p = 0.019). However, there were no between-group differences in total scores or in other SGRQ domains. Current asthma was a major risk factor for reduced HRQoL. In univariate analyses, the median symptom scores were 20.2 in those with asthma and 7.8 in those without asthma (p < 0.001), and, in multivariate analyses, the odds ratio (OR) was 8.7 for high total scores (95% confidence intervals, 2.1-36.6). Other factors associated with reduced HRQoL were current allergy (OR 4.4 for symptom scores), overweight (OR 3.3 for activity scores), tobacco smoking (OR 4.3 for symptom scores), and female sex (OR 3.2 for impact score). Furthermore, we performed post hoc analyses by excluding those with asthma and those who smoked, and found no significant differences on SGRQ scores between the subjects (cases) and the controls. Conclusion: Hospitalization for wheezing in early childhood mainly had indirect effects on HRQoL by increasing the risk of asthma.

Effect of Social Distancing Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Incidence of Viral Respiratory Tract Infections in Children in Finland During Early 2020.

BACKGROUND: Social distancing measures are used to reduce the spreading of infection. Our aim was to assess the immediate effects of national lockdown orders due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on pediatric emergency room (ER) visits and respiratory tract infections in hospitals and nationwide in Finland. METHODS: This register-based study used hospital patient information systems and the Finnish national infectious disease register. The participants were all patients visiting pediatric ER in 2 Finnish hospitals (Kuopio University Hospital, Mikkeli Central Hospital) covering 1/5th of the Finnish children population, 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after the start of the nationwide lockdown on March 16, 2020. Nationwide weekly numbers of influenza (A + B) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children were assessed from the infectious disease register from 2015 to 2020. RESULTS: A major decrease in the rate of daily median pediatric ER visits was detected in both hospitals in the study during the nationwide lockdown compared with the study period before the lockdown (Mikkeli, 19 vs. 7, P < 0.001; Kuopio, 9 vs. 2,5, P < 0.001). The influenza season was shorter (8 weeks from peak to no cases), and the weekly rate of new cases decreased faster compared with the previous 4 influenza seasons (previously 15-20 weeks from peak to no cases). A similar decrease was also seen in RSV cases. No pediatric cases of COVID-19 were found in participating hospitals during the study period. CONCLUSION: These results strongly suggest that social distancing and other lockdown strategies are effective to slow down the spreading of common respiratory viral diseases and decreasing the need for hospitalization among children.

Prospective study confirms that bronchiolitis in early infancy increases the risk of reduced lung function at 10-13 years of age.

AIM: This study evaluated children hospitalised for bronchiolitis at less than six months of age to see if they had reduced lung function in early adolescence. METHODS: We have prospectively followed 166 children hospitalised for infant bronchiolitis in 2001-2004 at Tampere University Hospital, Finland. At 10-13 years of age, flow-volume spirometry was measured in 89 cases and 108 controls without infant bronchiolitis from the local population register. Parameters of flow-volume spirometry before and after bronchodilation were analysed. RESULTS: Forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) after bronchodilation was lower in cases than controls. FEV1 was pathological - under the 5th percentile of the national references - in 25% of cases and 12% of controls (p = 0.020) before bronchodilation and in 18% of cases and 5% of controls (p = 0.003) after bronchodilation. FEV1/FVC was pathological in 25% of cases and 13% of controls (p = 0.034) before bronchodilation. Logistic regression, adjusted for current asthma and maternal smoking, showed that infant bronchiolitis was associated with pathological FEV1 before (odds ratio 2.4) and after (odds ratio 4.4) bronchodilation. The result was similar for positive respiratory syncytial virus cases. CONCLUSION: Reduced FEV1 after bronchodilation was found in early adolescence after infant bronchiolitis, suggesting irreversible bronchial obstruction.

Kuopio birth cohort - design of a Finnish joint research effort for identification of environmental and lifestyle risk factors for the wellbeing of the mother and the newborn child.

BACKGROUND: A Finnish joint research effort Kuopio Birth Cohort (KuBiCo) seeks to evaluate the effects of genetics, epigenetics and different risk factors (medication, nutrition, lifestyle factors and environmental aspects) during pregnancy on the somatic and psychological health status of the mother and the child. METHODS: KuBiCo will ultimately include information on 10,000 mother-child pairs who have given their informed consent to participate in this cohort. Identification of foetal health risk factors that can potentially later manifest as disease requires a repository of relevant biological samples and a flexible open up-to-date data handling system to register, store and analyse biological, clinical and questionnaire-based data. KuBiCo includes coded questionnaire-based maternal background data gathered before, during and after the pregnancy and bio-banking of maternal and foetal samples that will be stored in deep freezers. Data from the questionnaires and biological samples will be collected into one electronic database. KuBiCo consists of several work packages which are complementary to each other: Maternal, foetal and placental metabolism and omics; Paediatrics; Mental wellbeing; Prenatal period and delivery; Analgesics and anaesthetics during peripartum period; Environmental effects; Nutrition; and Research ethics. DISCUSSION: This report describes the set-up of the KuBiCo and descriptive analysis from 3532 parturients on response frequencies and feedback to KuBiCo questionnaires gathered from June 2012 to April 2016. Additionally, we describe basic demographic data of the participants (n = 1172). Based on the comparison of demographic data between official national statistics and our descriptive analysis, KuBiCo represents a cross-section of Finnish pregnant women.

National treatment guidelines decreased the use of racemic adrenaline for bronchiolitis in four Finnish university hospitals.

AIM: Inhaled racemic adrenaline was used for bronchiolitis in many hospitals in Finland prior to new national current care guidelines for bronchiolitis in 2014, which limited its recommendations to on-demand rescue therapy. We studied the drug's use before and after the new guidelines to gauge changes in prescribing habits. METHODS: This 2012-2016 study analysed how many 0.5 mL doses of racemic adrenaline were used for children by emergency rooms, paediatric wards and paediatric intensive care units at four university hospitals and estimated drug and staff costs. RESULTS: There were substantial differences in the yearly consumption of racemic adrenaline between the hospitals before and after the bronchiolitis guidelines were published, with reductions in drug costs and staff time. The overall use more than halved during the study period, particularly in two hospitals where baseline consumptions were highest, but not in a third where baseline consumption was already low. In the fourth, the baseline consumption was modest and there was a constant decrease during the study years. CONCLUSION: The current care guidelines for bronchiolitis had some impact on clinical practice, as the overall use of racemic adrenaline more than halved, but considerable differences remained in the four study hospitals after their publication.

Long-term effects of pneumococcal colonization during early childhood wheezing.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial colonization during wheezing in early childhood has been associated with short-term relapses of wheezing, but no study has addressed the effects of Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization on long-term outcome of wheezing. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate whether pneumococcal (PNC) colonization during the first wheezing episode in early childhood is a determinant of asthma, atopy or lung function in the long term. METHODS: In 1981-82 83 infants were hospitalized for first wheezing episode at <24 months of age. PNC colonization was defined as positive nasopharyngeal aspirate for S. pneumoniae either in culture or antigen detection on hospital admission. Atopy and repeated wheezing or asthma were diagnosed on all follow-up visits from infancy until the age of 28-31 years. Spirometry was conducted at the ages of 8-10, 18-20 and 28-31 years. RESULTS: PNC colonization was found in 25/83 infants (30%) during hospitalization for wheezing in infancy. PNC colonization was not associated with later atopy, repeated wheezing, asthma or lung function at any time during the 30 year follow up. CONCLUSION: PNC colonization during the first wheezing episode in early childhood is not a determinant of subsequent wheezing or later asthma, atopy or lung function in childhood, adolescence or adulthood.

Low eosinophils during bronchiolitis in infancy are associated with lower risk of adulthood asthma.

BACKGROUND: Infant bronchiolitis may be the first manifestation of asthma. AIM: To evaluate the association of early-childhood risk or protective factors for asthma and lung function reduction in adults 30 years after bronchiolitis in infancy. METHODS: Forty-seven former bronchiolitis patients attended the clinical study at the median age of 29.5 years, including doctoral examination and measurement of post-bronchodilator lung function with flow-volume spirometry. Data on early-life risk factors including blood eosinophil counts on admission for bronchiolitis and on convalescence 4-6 weeks after bronchiolitis were available. RESULTS: Low blood eosinophil count <0.25 × 10E9/l on admission for bronchiolitis was a significant protective factor and high blood eosinophil count >0.45 × 10E9/l on convalescence was a significant risk factor for asthma in adulthood independently from atopic status in infancy. Parental asthma and high blood eosinophil count >0.45 × 10E9/l during bronchiolitis were significant risk factors for irreversible airway obstruction (FEV1/FVC ratio below the 5th percentile lower limit of normality after bronchodilation). CONCLUSION: Our adjusted analyses confirmed that eosinopenia during infant bronchiolitis predicted low asthma risk and eosinophilia outside infection predicted high asthma risk up to the age of 28-31 years. Parental asthma and eosinophilia during bronchiolitis were recognized as risk factors for irreversible airway obstruction.

Adults face increased asthma risk after infant RSV bronchiolitis and reduced respiratory health-related quality of life after RSV pneumonia.

AIM: To evaluate the association between hospitalisation for respiratory syncytial virus lower respiratory tract infection (RSV LRTI) in infancy and asthma, respiratory health-related quality of life and lung function at 28-31 years of age. METHODS: In 2010, we carried out a 30-year follow-up on 43 adults admitted to Kuopio University Hospital, Finland, for RSV LRTI, 27 for bronchiolitis and 16 for pneumonia, between 1981 and 1982. Together with 86 population-based controls, they completed the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire and underwent prebronchodilator (pre-BD) and post-BD spirometry tests to measure percentage of predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%), percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1%) and percentage of predicted FEV1/FVC (FEV1/FVC%). RESULTS: Both the pre-BD and post-BD FEV1% and FEV1/FVC% were significantly lower in former RSV LRTI patients than in the controls. The bronchiolitis patients had more asthma in adulthood than the controls and pneumonia in infancy was associated with lower St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) scores. CONCLUSION: Respiratory tract infection LRTI hospitalisation in infancy was associated with an increased risk of permanent obstructive lung function reduction in adulthood. The asthma risk was higher after hospitalisation for bronchiolitis, than in the controls, and respiratory health-related quality of life was lower after hospitalisation for pneumonia.

Increased asthma risk and impaired quality of life after bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infancy.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have revealed that adulthood asthma has its origin in early childhood. AIM: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of asthma and respiratory health-related quality of life in adults 30 years after hospitalization for bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infancy. METHODS: Patients who were hospitalized for bronchiolitis or pneumonia at age under 24 months in 1981-1982 have been followed in repeated visits. In 2010, 48 of the 83 former patients with bronchiolitis (57.8%), 22 of the 44 former patients with pneumonia (50.0%), and 138 matched controls participated in the clinical study at the age of 28-31 years. The participants completed a structured questionnaire on respiratory symptoms, the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and underwent 2-week peak expiratory flow (PEF) monitoring. Asthma was defined as doctor-diagnosed and self-reported asthma based on doctor-prescribed medication for asthma, the presence of asthma-presumptive symptoms, and the results of home PEF monitoring. RESULTS: Both doctor-diagnosed asthma (31.3% vs. 10.9% adjusted P = 0.002) and self-reported asthma (35.4% vs. 14.5% 0.003), as well as repeated on-demand use of bronchodilators (35.4% vs. 14.5% 0.002), and regular use of inhaled corticosteroids (20.8% vs. 8.7% 0.023) were more common in former bronchiolitis patients than in controls. Former bronchiolitis and pneumonia patients had higher total SGRQ scores than controls. The median scores were 5.4 (IQ(25-75) 0.0-14.7, P < 0.001) in bronchiolitis group, 4.9 (1.3-14.8, 0.012) in pneumonia group compared to controls 1.5 (0.0-6.0). CONCLUSION: Hospitalization for bronchiolitis in infancy is associated with an increased risk of asthma, and an increased use of asthma medication in adulthood at the age of 28-31 years. Impaired respiratory health-related quality of life in adulthood as measured by the SGRQ is present after bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infancy.

Irreversible airway obstruction in adulthood after bronchiolitis in infancy: evidence from a 30-year follow-up study.

AIM: Lower respiratory infections in infancy may be associated with lung function deficits in adulthood. Our aim was to evaluate lung function, with a special focus on irreversible airway obstruction, thirty years after bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infancy. METHODS: In 1981-1982, 83 children under two years of age were hospitalized for bronchiolitis and 44 for pneumonia at Kuopio University Hospital, Finland. In 2010, 47 bronchiolitis patients, 22 pneumonia patients and 138 controls attended the study, including spirometry before (pre-BD) and after bronchodilatation (post-BD). The measured indices were forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), that were presented as % of predicted value (FVC% and FEV1%). FEV1/FVC was presented as both absolute FVC/FEV1-ratio and % of predicted (FEV1/FVC%). Irreversible airway obstruction was defined as post-BD FEV1/FVC% below 88% of predicted (FEV1/FVC% <88%) according to Finnish reference values or FEV1/FVC-ratio below fifth percentile (FEV1/FVC <5th percentile), according to Global Lung Function Initiative reference values. RESULTS: All lung function indices were lower in former bronchiolitis patients and pre- and post-BD FEV1% in pneumonia patients, compared to controls. 21% of bronchiolitis (OR, 95%CI; 5.59, 1.72-18.21) and 9% of pneumonia patients (2.24, 0.34-13.56) had FEV1/FVC% <88% compared to controls (4%). Likewise 7 (15%) of bronchiolitis (7.07, 1.33-37.22) and 1 (5%) of pneumonia patients (1.73, 0.12-24.77) had FEV1/FVC <5th percentile compared to controls 2 (1%). CONCLUSION: Evidence of reduced lung function was present 30 years after hospitalization for bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infancy. Irreversible airway obstruction after severe bronchiolitis in infancy suggests permanent, structural alterations in airways.