Early life exposures and the prevalence of atopic disoders in a sample of school-age infants

This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between genetic factors, early life environmental exposures, and the prevalence of atopic disorders in infants. 402 children attending schools in rural Essex were sampled in June 1999. Logistic regression models were fitted to examine the association between asthma, eczema, and rhinitis prevalence and a range of genetic and environmental risk factors. After adjustment, infant asthma was associated with the report of a serious chest infection before 3 years of age, a parent employed in a professional occupation, an asthmatic mother, and an asthmatic sibling. Amongst infants who had attended nursery school there was also an affect of age at first attendance. Associations with a chest infection and a family history of atopic conditions were similarly strong predictors of eczema and rhinitis prevalence. The results suggest that genetic influences and patterns of exposure to infections appear to be the greatest influences on the development of infant atopy.