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Day Care May Not Shield Kids From Asthma, Allergies
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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 The bottom line? Early exposure to germs and other organisms does cause more symptoms early in a child's life, but without a counterbalancing health benefit later on, as was previously believed. The children had an increase in airway symptoms until age 4, an overall decrease from age 4 to 8, but no protection at age 8 compared to those who weren't in daycare.
The study is published in the Sept. 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The study is considered a "landmark investigation" by Dr. John Heffner, past president of the American Thoracic Society. In a prepared statement, Heffner said that the investigation "is the first to follow children prospectively from birth to 8 years and assess the effect of daycare enrollment on both asthma symptoms and immunologic evidence of allergic disease."
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Heffner added: "This study provides strong evidence that enrollment in daycare provides no protection against asthma and cannot be promoted as a public health strategy to decrease asthma prevalence."
De Jongste said parents should consider daycare for many other reasons, however. "Daycare may serve many purposes, including social contacts and enabling both parents to work," he said.
More information
To learn more about childhood asthma, visit the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Page: << Prev | 1 | 2
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Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Last updated 9/9/2009
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SOURCES: Johan C. de Jongste, M.D., Ph.D., professor, pediatric respiratory medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; John Heffner, M.D., Portland, Ore., past president, American Thoracic Society; Sept. 15, 2009, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
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