Skip to main content
PMC home page
Archives of Disease in Childhood logoLink to Archives of Disease in Childhood
. 1987 Apr;62(4):338–344. doi: 10.1136/adc.62.4.338

Parental smoking, breast feeding, and respiratory infection in development of allergic diseases.

J J Cogswell, E B Mitchell, J Alexander
PMCID: PMC1778366  PMID: 3592725

Abstract

Environmental factors were examined as determinants of clinical disease in a five year prospective study of 73 children born to atopic parents. Clinical follow up for evidence of eczema and wheezing was combined with regular skin testing, immunoglobulin assay, and respiratory viral culture where appropriate. Thirty six children developed eczema, which was often associated with a positive result of a skin test to ingestants in the first year and inhalants by the fifth year. Thirty two children developed one or more episodes of wheeze. Fifteen children wheezed once only, and not all of these developed atopy. No pattern of respiratory infection in early life was characteristic of children with recurrent wheeze. There was a significant difference in parental smoking habits between children with and without episodes of wheeze at the fifth birthday. No protective effect of breast feeding could be shown. The development of allergic disease in susceptible children is influenced by many environmental factors. Advice to families about reduction of environmental allergens continues to pose problems, but parents should be advised to avoid smoking in the child's presence.

Full text

PDF
338

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Burr M. L. Does infant feeding affect the risk of allergy? Arch Dis Child. 1983 Jul;58(7):561–565. doi: 10.1136/adc.58.7.561. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cogswell J. J., Halliday D. F., Alexander J. R. Respiratory infections in the first year of life in children at risk of developing atopy. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Apr 3;284(6321):1011–1013. doi: 10.1136/bmj.284.6321.1011. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Colley J. R., Holland W. W., Corkhill R. T. Influence of passive smoking and parental phlegm on pneumonia and bronchitis in early childhood. Lancet. 1974 Nov 2;2(7888):1031–1034. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)92148-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. David T. J., Beards S. C. Asthma and the month of birth. Clin Allergy. 1985 Jul;15(4):391–395. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1985.tb03008.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Frick O. L., German D. F., Mills J. Development of allergy in children. I. Association with virus infections. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1979 Apr;63(4):228–241. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(79)90106-4. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Golding J., Butler N. R., Taylor B. Breastfeeding and eczema/asthma. Lancet. 1982 Mar 13;1(8272):623–623. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(82)91778-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Horn M. E., Brain E., Gregg I., Yealland S. J., Inglis J. M. Respiratory viral infection in childhood. A survey in general practice, Roehampton 1967-1972. J Hyg (Lond) 1975 Apr;74(2):157–168. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400024220. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jarrett E. E., Stewart D. C. Rat IgE production. I. Effect of dose of antigen on primary and secondary reaginic antibody responses. Immunology. 1974 Sep;27(3):365–381. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Johnstone D. E., Dutton A. M. Dietary prophylaxis of allergic disease in children. N Engl J Med. 1966 Mar 31;274(13):715–719. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196603312741305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kaufman H. S., Frick O. L. Immunological development in infants of allergic parents. Clin Allergy. 1976 Jul;6(4):321–327. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1976.tb01912.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mitchell I'Inglis H., Inglis H., Simpson H. Viral infection in wheezy bronchitis and asthma in children. Arch Dis Child. 1976 Sep;51(9):707–711. doi: 10.1136/adc.51.9.707. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mitchell E. B., Crow J., Chapman M. D., Jouhal S. S., Pope F. M., Platts-Mills T. A. Basophils in allergen-induced patch test sites in atopic dermatitis. Lancet. 1982 Jan 16;1(8264):127–130. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(82)90379-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mitchell E. B., Wilkins S., Deighton J. M., Platts-Mills T. A. Reduction of house dust mite allergen levels in the home: use of the acaricide, pirimiphos methyl. Clin Allergy. 1985 May;15(3):235–240. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1985.tb02280.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Moore W. J., Midwinter R. E., Morris A. F., Colley J. R., Soothill J. F. Infant feeding and subsequent risk of atopic eczema. Arch Dis Child. 1985 Aug;60(8):722–726. doi: 10.1136/adc.60.8.722. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Murray A. B., Ferguson A. C. Dust-free bedrooms in the treatment of asthmatic children with house dust or house dust mite allergy: a controlled trial. Pediatrics. 1983 Mar;71(3):418–422. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Platts-Mills T. A. Local production of IgG, IgA and IgE antibodies in grass pollen hay fever. J Immunol. 1979 Jun;122(6):2218–2225. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Platts-Mills T. A., Mitchell E. B., Rowntree S., Chapman M. D., Wilkins S. R. The role of dust mite allergens in atopic dermatitis. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1983 May;8(3):233–247. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2230.1983.tb01776.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Platts-Mills T. A., Tovey E. R., Mitchell E. B., Moszoro H., Nock P., Wilkins S. R. Reduction of bronchial hyperreactivity during prolonged allergen avoidance. Lancet. 1982 Sep 25;2(8300):675–678. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(82)90709-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Pride N. Smoking, allergy and airways obstruction: revival of the 'Dutch hypothesis'. Clin Allergy. 1986 Jan;16(1):3–6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1986.tb01946.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rowntree S., Cogswell J. J., Platts-Mills T. A., Mitchell E. B. Development of IgE and IgG antibodies to food and inhalant allergens in children at risk of allergic disease. Arch Dis Child. 1985 Aug;60(8):727–735. doi: 10.1136/adc.60.8.727. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Smith J. M., Springett V. H. Atopic disease and month of birth. Clin Allergy. 1979 Mar;9(2):153–157. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1979.tb01536.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Taylor B., Norman A. P., Orgel H. A., Stokes C. R., Turner M. W., Soothill J. F. Transient IgA deficiency and pathogenesis of infantile atopy. Lancet. 1973 Jul 21;2(7821):111–113. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(73)93060-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Taylor B., Wadsworth J., Golding J., Butler N. Breast feeding, eczema, asthma, and hayfever. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1983 Jun;37(2):95–99. doi: 10.1136/jech.37.2.95. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. VAN ARSDEL P. P., Jr, MOTULSKY A. G. Frequency and hereditability of asthma and allergic rhinitis in college students. Acta Genet Stat Med. 1959;9:101–114. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Warner J. O. Food allergy in fully breast-fed infants. Clin Allergy. 1980 Mar;10(2):133–136. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1980.tb02090.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Archives of Disease in Childhood are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES