Effects of maternal geohelminth infections on allergy in early childhood
نویسندگان
چکیده
BACKGROUND Maternal geohelminth infections during pregnancy may protect against allergy development in childhood. OBJECTIVE We sought to investigate the effect of maternal geohelminths on the development of eczema, wheeze, and atopy during the first 3 years of life. METHODS A cohort of 2404 neonates was followed to 3 years of age in a rural district in coastal Ecuador. Data on wheeze and eczema were collected by means of questionnaire and physical examination at 13, 24, and 36 months of age. Atopy was measured based on skin prick test (SPT) reactivity to 9 allergens at 36 months. Maternal stool samples were examined for geohelminths by microscopy. Data on potential confounders was collected after birth by questionnaire. RESULTS Geohelminths were observed in 45.9% of mothers. Eczema and wheeze were reported for 17.7% and 25.9%, respectively, of 2069 (86.1%) children with complete follow-up to 3 years, and allergen SPT reactivity to any allergen was present in 17.2% and to house dust mite in 8.7%. Maternal geohelminth infections were not significantly associated with eczema (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.26; 95% CI, 0.98-1.61), wheeze (adjusted OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.82-1.27), and SPT reactivity to any allergen (adjusted OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.61-1.01). In subgroup analyses maternal geohelminths were associated with a significantly reduced risk of SPT reactivity to mite and other perennial allergens, and maternal ascariasis was associated with an increased risk of eczema and reduced risk of SPT reactivity to all allergens. CONCLUSION Our data do not support a protective effect of maternal infections with geohelminth parasites during pregnancy against the development of eczema and wheeze in early childhood, although there was evidence in subgroup analyses for a reduction in SPT reactivity to house dust mites and perennial allergens.
منابع مشابه
Impact of early life exposures to geohelminth infections on the development of vaccine immunity, allergic sensitization, and allergic inflammatory diseases in children living in tropical Ecuador: the ECUAVIDA birth cohort study
BACKGROUND Geohelminth infections are highly prevalent infectious diseases of childhood in many regions of the Tropics, and are associated with significant morbidity especially among pre-school and school-age children. There is growing concern that geohelminth infections, particularly exposures occurring during early life in utero through maternal infections or during infancy, may affect vaccin...
متن کاملEffects of geohelminth infection and age on the associations between allergen-specific IgE, skin test reactivity and wheeze: a case-control study
BACKGROUND Most childhood asthma in poor populations in Latin America is not associated with aeroallergen sensitization, an observation that could be explained by the attenuation of atopy by chronic helminth infections or effects of age. OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of geohelminth infections and age on atopy, wheeze, and the association between atopy and wheeze. METHODS A case-control s...
متن کاملHuman allergy and geohelminth infections: a review of the literature and a proposed conceptual model to guide the investigation of possible causal associations.
Geohelminth infections and allergic disease are major public health problems and there is evidence in developing countries that they are associated. Although there is an extensive literature of the relationship between geohelminth infections and allergy, there is little consensus on whether the association is causal and if so, whether geohelminth infections may increase or decrease the risk of ...
متن کاملMaternal Geohelminth Infections Are Associated with an Increased Susceptibility to Geohelminth Infection in Children: A Case-Control Study
BACKGROUND Children of mothers infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH) may have an increased susceptibility to STH infection. METHODS AND FINDINGS We did a case-control study nested in a birth cohort in Ecuador. Data from 1,004 children aged 7 months to 3 years were analyzed. Cases were defined as children with Ascaris lumbricoides and/or Trichuris trichiura, controls without. Exposure...
متن کاملThe Effect of Maternal Age on Childhood Asthma
Some studies indicate that children born to younger mothers are at a higher risk of wheezing and asthma. To investigate the maternal age associated with asthma in children, a case-control study on 310 asthmatic and 310 non-asthmatic children aged 3 to 4 years was organized during a one-year period. A questionnaire was used to obtain information about the child’s personal susceptibility factor...
متن کامل