Air pollution and the development of asthma, allergy and infections in a birth cohort

¹ The University of British Columbia, School of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, Vancouver, BC, Canada
² Utrecht University, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences and Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
³ Centre for Prevention and Health Services Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
⁴ Dept of paediatrics, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center - Sophia Children's Hospital, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
⁵ Dept of paediatric Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
⁶ Dept of Pulmonology, University Hospital Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
⁷ Dept of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: brauer{at}interchange.ubc.ca.

	Abstract

Few studies have addressed associations between traffic-related air pollution and respiratory disease in young children. We assessed the development of asthmatic/allergic symptoms and respiratory infections during the first four years of life in a birth cohort study (n4, 000).

Outdoor concentrations of traffic-related air pollutants (NO₂, PM_2.5 and "soot") were assigned to the birthplace home addresses with a land-use regression model. They were linked by logistic regression to questionnaire data on doctor-diagnosed asthma, bronchitis, influenza and eczema and to self-reported wheeze, dry nighttime cough, ear/nose/throat infections and skin rash. Total and specific IgE to common allergens were measured in a subgroup (n=713).

Adjusted odds ratios per interquartile pollution range were elevated for wheeze (1.2, 95% CI=1.0-1.4 for "soot"), doctor-diagnosed asthma (1.3, 1.0-1.7), ear/nose/throat infections (1.2, 1.0-1.3) and flu/serious colds (1.2, 1.0-1.4). No consistent associations were observed for other endpoints. Positive associations between air pollution and specific sensitization to common food allergens (1.6, 1.2-2.2 for "soot"), but not total IgE, were found in the subgroup with IgE measurements.

Traffic-related pollution was associated with respiratory infections and some measures of asthma and allergy during the first four years of life.

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