Higher perceived stress in caregivers leads to more wheesing in infants
Higher perceived stress in caregivers (mostly mothers) of 2- to 3-month-old infants who had a genetic predisposition to asthma and allergy was associated with an increased risk of more wheezing during the first 14 months of life, according to researchers. Investigators recruited 496 children (263 males and 233 females) from a Boston hospital within 48 hours of delivery. Of the 496 children, 287 (57.9 percent) never wheezed within the 14 months, 116 (23.4 percent) had one reported wheezing episode, 47 (9.5 percent) had two, 28 (5.6 percent) suffered three, and 18 (3.6 percent) had four attacks. In the study, white persons reported lower levels of stress than did Hispanics. As household income increased, perceived stress levels decreased. Divorced and single caregivers showed higher stress levels than did those who were married. The highest stress scores were reported by caregivers whose infants were either in the bottom or top quartile in birth weight. Also, children were more likely to wheeze if they had mothers (but not fathers) with active asthma. In addition, repeated wheeze was associated with the presence of higher levels of cockroach antigen in the house. The study appears in the first issue for February of the American Thoracic Societys peer-reviewed American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Model of potent German cockroach allergen developed
Allergic reactions to a potent German cockroach allergen, which can result in emergency room visits for asthma in sensitive children, are not linked to enzymatic activity as dust mite allergens have shown. This potent cockroach allergen elicits immunoglobulin E (IgE) responses in 60 to
80 percent of allergic patients even at very low levels in the environment. In asthma, many allergic reactions involve antibodies of the IgE class. (Cockroach allergen exposure is strongly linked
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Contact: Cathy Carlomagno
ccarlomagno@thoracic.org
212-315-6442
American Thoracic Society
6-Feb-2002