The prevalence of and risk factors for atopy in early childhood: A whole population birth cohort study☆,☆☆,★,★★
Section snippets
Study population
Fifteen hundred thirty six children born consecutively on the Isle of Wight between January 1989 and February 1990 were included prenatally in a prospective cohort study. After excluding perinatal deaths, adoptions, and refusals, 1456 babies were available for follow-up. The findings at age 1 and 2 years have been reported.4, 18, 19 At birth, cord serum total IgE was measured in a majority by using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA ULTRA; Pharmacia Diagnostics AB, Uppsala, Sweden).4 At age 4 years,
Results
Twelve hundred eighteen children (83.6% of the original cohort) were seen after their fourth birthday, and 981 (80.5%) underwent skin prick tests. There was no selective loss from follow-up because the prevalence of atopy in 169 children seen at age 2 but not at 4 years was similar to the prevalence for the whole cohort at 2 years (23% vs 23.4%). Fig. 1 gives the period prevalence of atopic disorders at 1, 2, and 4 years and the cumulative prevalence for those assessed at all three follow-up
DISCUSSION
Studies recording the evolution of disease from birth over a prolonged period are often marred by a gradual loss of subjects.5, 7, 22 Over 80% of the Isle of Wight cohort was reviewed at the age of 4 years, and a majority underwent skin prick tests. Ambiguities over the definition of asthma, especially during infancy and early childhood, make the estimates of prevalence unreliable and render comparisons between studies difficult. In this study the cumulative prevalence of asthma by the age of 4
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From the David Hide Asthma & Allergy Research Centre, St. Mary's Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight.
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Supported by the Isle of Wight Health Authority Trust Fund.
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Reprint requests: Syed Hasan Arshad, DM, MRCP, The David Hide Asthma & Allergy Research Centre, St. Mary's Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 5TG, United Kingdom.
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