Abstract
The objective of this analysis was to determine the relationship between wheezing at different age groups in children and the prevalence of bronchial hyperreactivity at the age of 10. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Leipzig and the region around Halle in Germany. Of 3105 10-year-old children, 2658 questionnaires (85.6%) were returned. In addition 2279 (73.4%)pulmonary function tests were performed before and after cold air challenge. 658 children (24.8%) had recurrent wheezing during their lifetime. In 579 children the individual time course could be evaluated (46 children with and 533 without a physician-confirmed diagnosis of asthma). Wheezing began most frequently in the 1st year of life (44.1 % of all wheezing children) with the highest annual prevalence in the 3rd year (71.0% of all wheezing children). Wheezing which started in the first 2 years of life, had disappeared in most of the children by the age of 10. However, if wheezing began later than the 3rd year it was more persisting. Bronchial hyperreactivity measured after cold air challenge was higher in the group with recurrent wheezing (24.1 %) than in the group without wheezing (18.8%,P = 0.004).
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Abbreviations
- FEV 1 :
-
forced expiratory volume in 1 s
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Supported by the “Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie” [German Ministry for the Sciences and Technology].
Results were presented in part at the “89. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kinderheilkunde”, Würzburg, Germany, 11–14 September 1993
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Wjst, M., Dold, S., Roell, G. et al. Bronchial hyperreactivity and history of wheezing in children. Eur J Pediatr 153, 682–686 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02190692
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02190692