PERINATAL FACTORS AND ATOPIC DISEASE IN CHILDHOOD

Background Recent work has suggested possible linkages between perinat al factors and notably, head circumference and risks of subsequent ato pic illness, Objective To examine the linkages between perinatal facto rs and risks of atopic conditions in a birth cohort of New Zealand chi ldren studied to the age of 16. Methods Measures of atopic illness inc luding asthma, eczema? and other allergies were assessed prospectively during the course of a 16 year longitudinal study of a birth cohort o f 1265 New Zealand children. In the initial stage of this research, me asures of perinatal variables including birthweight, gestational age, head circumference and length at birth were obtained from hospital rec ord data. Results Children with head circumference at birth of 37 cm o r greater had (unadjusted) odds of asthma that were 1.8 (P < 0.01) to 3.0 (P < 0.0001) times higher than the odds for children of lesser hea d circumference. However, risks of asthma were not related to other pe rinatal measures including birthweight, gestational age or length or r atios of these measures. There were no consistent associations between perinatal measures and other measures of childhood atopy including ec zema, allergic rhinitis and other allergies, The associations between head circumference and asthma risks persisted when due allowance was m ade for potentially confounding social and perinatal factors, Conclusi ons It is concluded that large head circumference at birth may be asso ciated with increased risks for the development of asthma. Possible ex planations for the linkages between head circumference and asthma risk s are considered.