TY - JOUR
T1 - Timing and intensity of early fevers and the development of allergies and asthma
AU - Williams, L. Keoki
AU - Peterson, Edward L.
AU - Pladevall, Manel
AU - Tunceli, Kaan
AU - Ownby, Dennis R.
AU - Johnson, Christine C.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported in part from grants from the Fund for Henry Ford Hospital, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01AI61774, R01AI50681, R21AI059415), and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL068971).
Funding Information:
Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: Dr Ownby received funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for this study. All other authors—none disclosed.
Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2005/7
Y1 - 2005/7
N2 - Background: Early childhood fevers appear to protect against later allergies and asthma. What is not known is the time in which fevers exert this effect and whether the degree of temperature increase is important. Objective: We sought to examine the relationship between the time and degree of early fevers and later allergies and asthma. Methods: Eight hundred thirty-five children from southeast Michigan were enrolled at birth. Clinic records from their first 2 years were abstracted for episodes of fever. At age 6 to 7 years, children underwent allergy testing. We examined fevers occurring within 6-month intervals in the first 2 years of life and outcomes at age 6 to 7 years. The primary outcome measures were allergic sensitization, asthma, asthma with allergic sensitization, and asthma without allergic sensitization. Results: In the unadjusted analysis each episode of fever between 7 and 12 months of age was associated with a lower odds of allergic sensitization (odds ratio [OR], 0.71; 95% CI, 0.54-0.93) and asthma with allergic sensitization (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.21-0.90) at age 6 to 7 years. Likewise, every 1°C increase in the maximum temperature between 7 and 12 months was associated with a lower odds of allergic sensitization (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61-0.96) and asthma with allergic sensitization (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40-0.94). After adjusting for potential confounders, each episode of fever between 7 and 12 months was associated with a lower likelihood of asthma with allergic sensitization (adjusted OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.11-0.94) at age 6 to 7 years. Conclusions: Both the timing and intensity of childhood fevers appear to be important factors in the development of allergies and asthma.
AB - Background: Early childhood fevers appear to protect against later allergies and asthma. What is not known is the time in which fevers exert this effect and whether the degree of temperature increase is important. Objective: We sought to examine the relationship between the time and degree of early fevers and later allergies and asthma. Methods: Eight hundred thirty-five children from southeast Michigan were enrolled at birth. Clinic records from their first 2 years were abstracted for episodes of fever. At age 6 to 7 years, children underwent allergy testing. We examined fevers occurring within 6-month intervals in the first 2 years of life and outcomes at age 6 to 7 years. The primary outcome measures were allergic sensitization, asthma, asthma with allergic sensitization, and asthma without allergic sensitization. Results: In the unadjusted analysis each episode of fever between 7 and 12 months of age was associated with a lower odds of allergic sensitization (odds ratio [OR], 0.71; 95% CI, 0.54-0.93) and asthma with allergic sensitization (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.21-0.90) at age 6 to 7 years. Likewise, every 1°C increase in the maximum temperature between 7 and 12 months was associated with a lower odds of allergic sensitization (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61-0.96) and asthma with allergic sensitization (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40-0.94). After adjusting for potential confounders, each episode of fever between 7 and 12 months was associated with a lower likelihood of asthma with allergic sensitization (adjusted OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.11-0.94) at age 6 to 7 years. Conclusions: Both the timing and intensity of childhood fevers appear to be important factors in the development of allergies and asthma.
KW - Allergic sensitization
KW - Asthma
KW - Atopy
KW - Fever
KW - Hygiene hypothesis
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jaci.2005.04.021
DO - 10.1016/j.jaci.2005.04.021
M3 - Article
C2 - 15990781
AN - SCOPUS:21344436401
SN - 0091-6749
VL - 116
SP - 102
EP - 108
JO - Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
JF - Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
IS - 1
ER -