Five developments in childhood asthma

Recent research on childhood asthma included studies supporting the “hygiene hypothesis” and “atopic march.” Here are some highlights of articles presented in Healio Allergy/Immunology:

1. Nearly 60% of children with asthma had at least one type of allergy

More than half of children with asthma also have at least one type of allergy, and data indicate the trend has remained level from 2001 to 2012, according to research presented at the 2014 Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting.

Lara J. Akinbami

“Children with asthma have much higher rates of prevalence for each type of allergy, and are increasingly likely to have all three types compared to children without asthma,” Kenneth C. Schoendorf, MD, and Lara J. Akinbami, MD, of the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Md., told Healio Allergy/Immunology. With Perspective. Read more

2. Newborns exposed to certain allergens, bacteria had reduced risk for allergy, asthma

Children in urban environments who had the highest exposure to specific allergens and bacteria in their first year had the least likelihood to have recurrent wheeze or allergic sensitization.

Robert A. Wood

“Our study shows that the timing of initial exposure may be critical,” researcher Robert A. Wood, MD, FAAAAI, director of allergy and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, said in a press release. “What this tells us is not only that many of our immune responses are shaped in the first year of life, but also that certain bacteria and allergens play an important role in stimulating and training the immune system to behave a certain way.” With Perspectives. Read more

3. Recertification program improved asthma care in children

An asthma quality improvement project designed for maintenance of certification improved the process of care for children with persistent asthma.

“The asthma QI [quality improvement] project demonstrated that an ABP-approved project based on practice-based registries and a learning collaborative approach can improve processes of care among patients with persistent asthma while allowing physicians to obtain necessary [maintenance of certification] credits,” the researchers reported. Read more

4. Preschool-aged children with AD, aeroallergen sensitization faced risk for asthma

Children with atopic dermatitis who developed sensitization to aeroallergens were more at risk for asthma during school years, according to research presented at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology annual congress.

Elisabetta Calamelli

“Over the last decades, it has been strengthened, the so-called ‘atopic march’ theory, defined as the natural progression from [atopic dermatitis] AD toward the development of respiratory allergy,” Elisabetta Calamelli, MD, research assistant, Pediatric Allergy Unit, University of Bologna, Italy, and colleagues reported to Healio Allergy/Immunology.” Read more

5. Methyl donor intake during first trimester affected childhood asthma risk

Women whose dietary intake included methyl donors during the first trimester of pregnancy possibly reduced the risk for their children developing asthma, according to research presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference.

Michelle Trivedi

“We found that maternal intake of the six methyl donors we studied — folate, choline, betaine, and vitamins B2, B6 and B12 — had protective effects on the risk of developing childhood asthma, and that interactions between these nutrients affected the magnitude and the direction of this risk,” researcher Michelle Trivedi, MD, clinical fellow in pediatric pulmonology, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, said in a news release. Read more