PARENTS OF HIGH RISK CHILDREN FOR ASTHMA UNAWARE OF POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS

(Toronto, May 13, 1996)--Researchers at The Toronto Hospital have found that parents of children at high risk for asthma or allergies receive no counselling from family physicians in avoiding environmental risk factors which may lead to the chronic breathing problem. Children may be considered at high risk for the development of asthma if one or both of their parents suffer from asthma or allergies, or if they were not breastfed as infants.

The cause of asthma is unknown. But previous studies have shown that both genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of asthma. Environmental factors contributing to asthma include exposure to cigarette smoke and allergens such as house dust mites, pets and
wall-to-wall carpeting.

"Family physicians are missing a major opportunity to identify high risk families and intervene in a primary way," says Dr. Ken Chapman, Director of the Asthma Centre at The Toronto Hospital and lead principal investigator of the study.The results of the study were presented today by research assistant David Joyce at the 1996 American Lung Association/American Thoracic International Conference in New Orleans.

"By receiving counselling, parents of high risk children may reduce the incidence or prevent the development of asthma in their children by modifying the home enviroment or their own behaviour," says Mr. Joyce. "This could potentially reduce the burden of illness to their children as well as reduce the extraordinary costs to the health care system of treating the disease."

The study enrolled 194 women who were interviewed by questionnaire 24 hours following an uncomplicated delivery of their children. Of these, 122 or 63 per cent, were identified as high risk. In the high risk group, 10 per cent of the mothers smoked during pregnancy; 23 per cent were exposed to second-hand smoke on a daily basis; 11 per cent did not plan to breastfeed their children and 20 per cent reported that they planned to introduce meats and vegetable before four months of age. A large number of high risk mothers also reported potential risk factors for asthma/allergy in their home environments. These included: animals in households; cockroaches; wall-to-wall carpeting; "very dusty" homes; infrequent sheet cleaning; the use of feathered materials in the infants bed; and having stuffed animals in the child's bedroom.

For more information, contact Josey Panetta, Senior Media Relations Officer,
The Toronto Hospital, (416) 340-3303

Return to The Toronto Hospital Home Page