Association of Late-Preterm Birth With Asthma in Young Children: Practice-Based Study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of late-preterm birth with asthma severity among young children. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed with electronic health record data from 31 practices affiliated with an academic medical center. Participants included children born in 2007 at 34 to 42 weeks of gestation and monitored from birth to 18 months. We used multivariate logistic or Poisson models to assess the impact of late-preterm (34–36 weeks) and low-normal (37–38 weeks) compared with term (39–42 weeks) gestation on diagnoses of asthma and persistent asthma, inhaled corticosteroid use, and numbers of acute respiratory visits. RESULTS: Our population included 7925 infants (7% late-preterm and 21% low-normal gestation). Overall, 8.3% had been diagnosed with asthma by 18 months. Compared with term gestation, late-preterm gestation was associated with significant increases in persistent asthma diagnoses (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.68), inhaled corticosteroid use (aOR: 1.66), and numbers of acute respiratory visits (incidence rate ratio: 1.44). Low-normal gestation was associated with increases in asthma diagnoses (aOR: 1.34) and inhaled corticosteroid use (aOR: 1.39). CONCLUSION: Birth at late-preterm and low-normal gestational ages might be an important risk factor for the development of asthma and for increased health service use in early childhood.

Association between dietary habits and asthma severity in children

“…The relationship between gestational age and asthma severity has been investigated in previous studies with conflicting results [21,22]. The present study showed that obesity was significantly associated with more severe childhood asthma.…”

Prematurity and the burden of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus disease

“…[18] An increased risk for asthma and the need for medical treatment with inhalative corticosteroids were reported in children born between 34 to 36 weeks of gestational age, and recurrent wheezing at the age of 3 years was seen more often in children with a history of late prematurity in contrast to those born between 38 to 40 weeks of gestational age. [36,37] At the age of 8 to 14 years, evidence of bronchial obstruction was seen in 83% of children with BPD and in 23% of those without BPD, [38] and differences in lung function testing have been reported even at adolescent age in very low birth weight infants with or without BPD. [39,40] A study [41] reported the differences in lung function testing even in preterm infants born at 33 and 34 weeks of gestational age at a mean age of 8 to 9 years compared with term infants, but other studies [33,[42][43][44][45] reported divergent results in the BPD group.…”

Pulmonary Morbidity in Infancy after Exposure to Chorioamnionitis in Late Preterm Infants

“…Although the association of early preterm birth (,32 wk) with later development of wheeze is well established (7), the association of moderate or late preterm birth with subsequent wheezing is reported in some studies (8,9) but not others (10,11). A limitation of these studies is that the findings were based on retrospective review of databases.…”