Bronchiolitis in children, asthma in adolescence
The links between asthma and bronchiolitis are discussed. For years it was thought that the bed of bronchiolitis asthma. Since then, studies have shown that the future of bronchiolitis depended on the severity of the initial infection. A new study confirms that three episodes of severe bronchiolitis is a risk factor for subsequent development of allergic asthma.
During childhood, some children suffer from multiple episodes of bronchiolitis. And from the third episode, we speak of “asthma in infants. However, the move towards asthma in adulthood depends on the severity of bronchiolitis and is closely related to atopy, that is to say that there is a family history of eczema, of allergies or asthma.
In this study, children were followed until the age of 13 years: 47 children hospitalized for bronchiolitis and 97 control subjects. Those who had at least three episodes of wheezing, or in whom the diagnosis of asthma was made by a physician, were considered as asthmatics.
The authors find that the occurrence of respiratory symptoms was significantly higher in the bronchiolitis group than in control children, respectively 43% against 8% for asthma and 39% against 15% for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.
Meanwhile, skin tests and assays of antibodies (anti-IgE) showed that awareness of common allergens was more common among children who have bronchiolitis than in the control group: respectively 50% against 28% for skin tests positive and 45% against 26% for anti-IgE.
The authors conclude that episodes of severe bronchiolitis in infancy can be considered as a risk factor for developing allergic asthma in adolescence.
Recall that bronchiolitis is an acute inflammation of the bronchioles of viral origin, progressing to respiratory distress. It occurs mostly in children under two years. In most cases, this infection, impressive for parents, is benign. But in some severe cases, treatment is based on chest physiotherapy designed to unclog the airways tract. Are sometimes prescribed bronchodilators or antibiotics, which, ineffective against viruses, used only if a secondary bacterial infection.
Tags: adolescence, asthma, bronchiolitis, children