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. 1998 Dec;53(12):1189-94.
doi: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1998.tb03840.x.

Recurrent respiratory tract infections during the first 3 years of life and atopy at school age

W Nystad  1 , A Skrondal, F Njå, O Hetlevik, K H Carlsen, P Magnus
Affiliations

Recurrent respiratory tract infections during the first 3 years of life and atopy at school age

W Nystad et al. Allergy. 1998 Dec.

Abstract

Background: The hypothesis that infections reduce the risk of atopy was investigated by estimating the association between recurrent respiratory tract infections during the first 3 years of life and atopy at school age.

Methods: According to surveys in three different areas of Norway, children were classified into three groups: asthma, wheeze without asthma (wheeze), and no asthma/no wheeze. The skin prick test (SPT) was conducted on a stratified random sample of children (n = 502). The outcome was at least one positive SPT. The exposure variable was retrospective parental report of respiratory tract infections during the first 3 years of life.

Results: Infections were negatively associated with atopy, crude odds ratio (cOR) = 0.3, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.1-0.7, in the asthma group. A similar association was present in children with wheeze cOR = 0.4 (95% CI 0.1-1.2). The number of siblings was not associated with atopy in any group. Infections remained negatively associated with atopy in children with asthma, aOR = 0.3 (95% CI 0.1-0.7), in a logistic regression model adjusting for confounding factors. A similar pattern was present in the wheeze group.

Conclusions: Recurrent respiratory tract infections during the first 3 years of life are negatively associated with atopy at school age in children with asthma.

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