Table 3.
Association between cord blood MBL levels and number of weeks with respiratory symptoms during the first year of life
| Outcome measure | Univariable association | Adjusted association* | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRR† | 95% CI | p‐Value | IRR† | 95% CI | p‐Value | |
| Weeks with any respiratory symptoms‡ | ||||||
| Low MBL§ | 1.27 | 0.94–1.73 | 0.125 | 1.21 | 0.90–1.62 | 0.218 |
| High MBL | 1.27 | 0.93–1.73 | 0.132 | 1.35 | 1.02–1.79 | 0.036 |
| Weeks with severe respiratory symptoms¶ | ||||||
| Low MBL§ | 1.61 | 0.93–2.76 | 0.086 | 1.57 | 0.93–2.64 | 0.092 |
| High MBL | 1.72 | 1.01–2.96 | 0.047 | 1.93 | 1.17–3.20 | 0.010 |
| Wk with wheeze** | ||||||
| Low MBL§ | 3.17 | 1.22–8.19 | 0.017 | 1.78 | 0.71–4.45 | 0.216 |
| High MBL | 2.80 | 1.07–7.30 | 0.036 | 2.03 | 0.83–4.97 | 0.120 |
Cord blood MBL levels in the low/high tertile of the cohort distribution are compared with MBL levels in the middle tertile.
*Adjusted for the following additional risk factors of respiratory symptoms during infancy: sex, gestational weight, maternal smoking during pregnancy and parental smoking, maternal and parental asthma, number of older siblings, day‐care attendance and maternal atopic disease.
†Incidence rate ratio of having weeks with the respective respiratory symptoms in first year of life compared to middle MBL levels.
‡Defined as respiratory symptoms independent of severity.
§Comparable results were obtained for 21 infants with very‐low MBL cord blood levels (<100 ng/ml); see ‘Results’ section for details.
¶Defined as respiratory symptoms with repeated sleep disturbances during night or GP consultation during day‐time.
**Defined as audible wheeze to the parents.