Findings from a two-year study on asthma and wheezing illness in
one year olds and kindergarten children, released today by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, show that within the
first three years of life, almost 17% of Australian infants
experienced asthma or wheezing illness.
However breastfeeding within the first 12 months of life may
offer a protective effect against asthma or wheezing in infancy,
which increases with increasing breastfeeding duration.
Report author Professor Guy Marks, of the Australian Centre for
Asthma Monitoring said, 'Asthma or wheeze in infants was more
common in those whose mothers had asthma, were relatively young or
smoked during pregnancy.'
The report, Asthma in Australian Children: Findings from
Growing up in Australia, the Longitudinal Study of Australian
Children, also found that asthma or wheeze during the first
three years of life was more common among boys, those who had older
siblings, those who were born at an earlier gestational age, or who
were admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after birth.
'There are important differences between wheezing illness in
infancy and kindergarten-aged children, both in the nature of the
disease and in its risk factors,' said Professor Marks.
'By the age of 5, 21% of Australian children have been diagnosed
with asthma and among those who did not have asthma by age five, 4%
per year were diagnosed over the next two years,' he said.
Boys were more likely than girls to first develop asthma or
wheezing illness in infancy but, from age five years, new cases
occurred equally in boys and girls.
The report also showed that among kindergarten-aged children,
living in remote areas and having food or other allergies were risk
factors for the onset of asthma-like symptoms.
Children who had asthma or wheeze in their fifth year were more
likely than other children to be hospitalised, to attend an
emergency department, and to visit a general practitioner more
frequently over the next two years, and were also more likely to be
overweight or obese two years later.
Parents of children with wheeze or asthma were more likely to
report that their child had poorer health or disturbed sleeping
patterns.
Wednesday 14 October 2009
Further information: Professor Guy Marks, AIHW,
tel. 02 9114 0466
For media copies of the report: Publications Officer,
AIHW, tel. (02) 6244 1032.
Asthma in Australian Children: Findings from Growing up in
Australia, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children
Report
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