%0 Journal Article %A Ilse Boudewijn %A Olga Savenije %A Marjan Kerkhof %A Gerard Koppelman %A Henriette Smit %A Alet Wijga %A Dirkje Postma %T Nocturnal dry cough in early childhood is a risk for the development of asthma %D 2011 %J European Respiratory Journal %P p1134 %V 38 %N Suppl 55 %X Background: Wheeze in young children is an established predictor of the development of asthma later in life. Cough frequently occurs in childhood as well. So far, little is known about the role of nocturnal dry cough (NDC) in the development of asthma.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of NDC at ages 1-7 years, in the presence or absence of wheeze, with doctor-diagnosed asthma at 8 years of age.Methods: Data from the Prevalence and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy (PIAMA) birth cohort were used, which consists of 3963 children born in The Netherlands. Children were followed from birth up to 8 years of age. Presence of NDC without having a cold, wheeze, and a doctor's diagnosis of asthma ever with symptoms of asthma in the past 12 months (DDA) was reported yearly by the parents.Results: The prevalence of NDC at age 1 to 7 years varied from 15.0% at age 7, to 23.3% at age 5. NDC without wheeze was significantly associated with DDA at age 8, except for the age of 1 year (range of Odds Ratios (OR) at age 2 to age 7: 1.82 (age 5) to 7.65 (age 7), range of p-values <0.001-<0.048). NDC combined with wheeze showed the most strong association with DDA at age 8 (range of OR at age 1 to age 7: 3.96 (age 1) to 35.96 (age 7), all p-values < 0.000). Wheeze without NDC was also strongly associated with DDA at age 8 (range of OR at age 1 to age 7: 2.06 (age 1) to 29.12 (age 7), range of p-values <0.001-<0.003).Conclusion: These results show that NDC in early childhood is an independent risk factor for the development of asthma. The presence of NDC even increases the risk for asthma in children with wheeze. %U