American Thoracic Society Journal news tips for July (fi...( Lung function growth rates of childre...),Health

Researchers provided further evidence that ambient levels of air pollution produced significant effects on children's lung function growth rates. Between 1996 and 2000, investigators studied a cohort of 1,678 southern California children, enrolled as fourth graders. They found that significant deficits in lung function growth rates were associated with exposure to acid vapor, nitric dioxide, particulate matter, and elemental carbon. The average annual growth rate for astandard lung function test in the children was reduced by 10 percent. The researchers also reported that larger deficits were seen in children who reported spending more time outdoors. Of all the pollutants studied, acid vapor showed the most consistent effect on lung function growth for the cohort. The air pollution data came from monitoring stations in the 12 study communities; pollution levels were monitored continuously. The investigators said that further follow-up of participants, all of whom were members of the Children's Health Studya 10-year investigation of children's respiratory health in 12 southern California communities, would allow determination of whether pollution-related deficits in lung function growth persist into adulthood. The research appears in the first issue for July 2002 of the American Thoracic Society's peer-reviewed American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Asthma at age 5 not associated with antibiotic use in first year

Despite the publication of five prior retrospective studies showing an association between antibiotic use in early life and asthma in childhood, investigators in the first prospective study of the finding found no association between antibiotic use in the first year of life and subsequent development of asthma, allergic rhinitis, or eczema at age 5. The investigators studied 498 infants who were born to pa
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Contact: Cathy Carlomagno
ccarlomagno@thoracic.org
212-315-6442
American Thoracic Society
3-Jul-2002