Table 1.
Patient Characteristics
| Total group (N = 142) | Mild (N = 41) | Moderate (N = 64) | Severe (N = 37) | P‐value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (mo), Mean ± SE | 4.5 ± 0.39 | 6.4 ± 0.81 | 4.7 ± 0.61 | 2.2 ± 0.36 | P < 0.0013 |
| Male | 87 (61) | 23 (56) | 38 (59) | 26 (70) | NS |
| Birth characteristics | |||||
| Birth weight (g), mean ± SE | 3261 ± 66 | 3202 ± 123 | 3405 ± 91 | 3094 ± 135 | NS |
| Prematurity1 | 18 (13) | 4 (10) | 4 (6) | 10 (27) | P = 0.0084 |
| Maternal smoking | 22/130 (17) | 5/39 (13) | 7/61 (12) | 10/30 (33) | P = 0.0245 |
| Breastfeeding | 81/138 (59) | 28/41 (68) | 34/61 (56) | 19/36 (53) | NS |
| Underlying diseases2 | |||||
| CHD | 9 (6) | 3 (7) | 2 (3) | 4 (11) | NS |
| Environmental factors | |||||
| Atopic disease | 18/140 (13) | 6 (15) | 9 (14) | 3/35 (9) | NS |
| Atopic family history | 76/136 (56) | 19/40 (48) | 38/62 (61) | 19/34 (56) | NS |
| Passive smoking | 19/134 (14) | 6/39 (15) | 7/63 (11) | 6/32 (19) | NS |
| Siblings | 110/141 (78) | 30 (73) | 47/63 (75) | 33 (89) | NS |
| Daycare attendance | 25/138 (18) | 10/38 (26) | 14/64 (22) | 1/36 (3) | P = 0.0186 |
| Presentation | |||||
| Days of illness before presentation, median (IQR) | 4.0 (3.0–6.0) | 4.0 (3.0–7.5) | 4.0 (3.0–6.0) | 5 (3.0–6.0) | NS |
Data are presented as number (%), unless otherwise specified.
Mo, months; g, grams; IQR, interquartile range; CHD, congenital heart defect.
1
Prematurity was defined as a gestation age of 35 weeks or less.
2
No patients with chronic lung diseases or immune deficiencies were included. Kruskal–Wallis or Chi‐squared tests were performed, and when significant, they were followed by Mann–Whitney U‐tests or Chi‐squared tests for individual comparisons. Individual statistical comparisons were as follows:
3
Mild versus moderate, P = 0.03; mild versus severe, P = 0.000; moderate versus severe, P = 0.01.
4
Moderate versus severe, P = 0.02.
5
Moderate versus severe, P = 0.01.
6
Mild versus severe, P = 0.001; moderate versus severe, P = 0.002.