Babies born in pollen and mold seasons have greater odds of developing asthma sy

[Guest guest]

Babies born in pollen and mold seasons have greater odds of

developing asthma symptoms

By Yang, Media Relations | 23 February 2009

UC Berkeley NewsCenter Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:33 PM PST

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/02/23_wheezing.shtml

BERKELEY — Newborns whose first few months of life coincide with high

pollen and mold seasons are at increased risk of developing early

symptoms of asthma, suggests a new study led by researchers at the

University of California, Berkeley.

Researchers found that children born in the high mold season, which

generally encompasses the fall and winter months, have three times

the odds of developing wheezing - often an early sign of asthma - by

age 2 compared with those born at other times of the year.

The study results, reported online Tuesday, Feb. 24 (12:01 a.m. GMT)

in the journal Thorax, may help shed light on why babies born in the

fall and winter appear to have a higher risk of eventually developing

asthma than children born in the summer.

Numerous factors have been linked to asthma risk, including heredity

and exposure to air pollution, animal dander and tobacco smoke. A

2008 study of birth and medical records found that babies born in the

fall are at greater risk of later developing childhood asthma. That

study suggested an influence from early exposure to respiratory

viruses, which is more common during the peak of cold and flu season.

" In our study, we took a different tack to understand the link

between month of birth and asthma by considering ambient

concentrations of fungal spores and pollen, which follow distinct

seasonal patterns, " said Kim Harley, associate director of health

effects research at UC Berkeley's Center for Children's Environmental

Health Research and lead author of the new study. " Until our paper,

there were very little data about exposure to allergens in the air,

which we know can trigger symptoms for those who already have asthma.

This is the first study to look at the potential role of early life

exposure to multiple outdoor fungal and pollen groups in the

development of asthma. "

The researchers examined 514 children born in 1999 and 2000 in

California's Salinas Valley, a region with mild, rainy winters and

dry summers. They identified 27 spore and 48 pollen groups in the

study, recording the average daily concentrations for the groups that

accounted for more than 3 percent of the total during the first three

months of life for each child in the study.

The peak of the pollen and spore seasons did not always occur in the

same months of each study year, but for this region, ambient mold

levels begin to increase in November and December, and pollen peaks

in the early spring months of March and April, the researchers said.

After adjusting for such factors as family history of asthma, air

pollution, secondhand smoke and signs of cockroaches, rodents or mold

in the home, the researchers found that babies born in the fall and

winter have triple the odds of developing early wheezing, often a

precursor to asthma, by 24 months of age.

High concentrations of two groups of fungal spores, basidiospores and

ascospores - emitted from such sources as mushrooms, molds, and rusts

on plants - had a significant association with early wheezing at age

2. Basidiospores and ascospores are common outdoor allergen-bearing

particles that are more prevalent during periods of rain or high

humidity.

Total pollen concentration exposure during the first three months of

life was also linked to greater risk of early wheezing. Of the groups

of pollen, those from alder, pine and cypress trees had a greater

effect than those from oak, mulberry or elm trees.

The researchers noted that definitive diagnoses of asthma are

generally not made until children are older, often around school age.

As many as 40 percent of children who wheeze early in life may go on

to have childhood asthma, especially if they have other allergic

symptoms, according to the researchers. They are continuing to follow

the children in the study and expect to have findings from lung

function tests in another year or two.

" We are not in position to say conclusively why some children develop

asthma, or to even suggest precautionary measures to help babies born

in the fall and winter, " said Dr. Ira Tager, UC Berkeley professor of

epidemiology and senior author of the study. " We already know that

family history is a major risk factor for developing asthma, but the

role environmental factors play is still being fleshed out. What this

study does is provide valuable clues about airborne allergens that

are worth exploring further. "

Harley added that while this study did not directly address the role

of respiratory viruses, it is possible that exposure to ambient

pollutants combine with early respiratory infections to increase the

risk of asthma for fall and winter babies, and that future studies

may do well to look at both factors.

This research is part of the Center for the Health Assessment of

Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS), a partnership between UC

Berkeley and California's Salinas Valley community, and directed by

study co-author Eskenazi, UC Berkeley professor of

epidemiology and maternal and child health. Additional UC Berkeley

researchers on the study are Paurene Duramad, Nina Holland, Jeannette

Ferber and Asa Bradman. They are joined by study co-authors Dr.

Lipsett and Dr. Janet Macher from the California Department

of Public Health; and by Dr. Prager from Central Coast Allergy

and Asthma in Salinas.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency helped support this study.

[Guest guest]

--- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...>

wrote:

>

> Babies born in pollen and mold seasons have greater odds of

> developing asthma symptoms

> By Yang, Media Relations | 23 February 2009

>

> UC Berkeley NewsCenter Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:33 PM PST

>

>

> http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/02/23_wheezing.shtml

>

>

Breastfeed these infants and their immune systems will get an awesome

jumpstart in fighting environmental challenges. Mother's milk is so

nutritious and beneficial for these little ones. Many develop allergies

because of the ingredients in other milk products. It's so elementary

and totally natural to make use of the best available source of what has

been placed in the women's body to nourish her baby.