Tamara Thomas

Urban Health Today

According to a study published in the Lancet Journal, infants infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in their first year of life may be at greater risk for asthma. 
Previous research has linked early-life severe RSV with an increased risk of developing wheezing illnesses as children. However, the relationship between RSV infection in infancy and childhood asthma development remains unclear.
Christian Rosas-Salazar, MD, MPH, and colleagues observed how different severities of RSV affect the risk of developing asthma during childhood. According to Dr. Rosas-Salazar, RSV is the most common cause of hospitalizations worldwide due to respiratory issues in the first year of life, and nearly all children become infected with RSV by age 2.
The study included 1946 healthy infants &lt;6 months old during the RSV season. These infants were recruited from 11 pediatric practices located in central Tennessee. Of the study participants, about 54% were infected with RSV in the first year of life, while the remaining 46% were uninfected.
The researchers then assessed the infants annually and evaluated them for asthma at age 5. According to their study, infants not infected with RSV in their first year of life had a 26% lower risk of asthma at age 5.
“In our study, among healthy children born at term, not being infected with RSV in the first year of life was associated with a substantially reduced risk of developing childhood asthma, which affects about 8% of the children in the US,” said Dr. Rosas-Salazar in the release. “Our findings show an age-dependent association between RSV infection during infancy and childhood asthma.”
The researchers hope their findings will inspire long-term monitoring of respiratory outcomes in children as part of ongoing clinical trials for RSV prevention products, including vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.
Source: <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-04-25/rsv-in-infancy-could-raise-a-childs-risk-for-asthma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US News</a>

According to a study published in the Lancet Journal, infants infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in their first year of life may be at greater risk for asthma. Previous research has linked early-life severe RSV with an increased risk of developing wheezing illnesses as children. However, the relationship between RSV infection in infancy and childhood asthma development remains unclear.Christian Rosas-Salazar, MD, MPH, and colleagues observed how different severities of RSV affect the risk of developing asthma during childhood. According to Dr. Rosas-Salazar, RSV is the most common cause of hospitalizations worldwide due to respiratory issues in the first year of life, and nearly all children become infected with RSV by age 2.The study included 1946 healthy infants &lt;6 months old during the RSV season. These infants were recruited from 11 pediatric practices located in central Tennessee. Of the study participants, about 54% were infected with RSV in the first year of life, while the remaining 46% were uninfected.The researchers then assessed the infants annually and evaluated them for asthma at age 5. According to their study, infants not infected with RSV in their first year of life had a 26% lower risk of asthma at age 5.“In our study, among healthy children born at term, not being infected with RSV in the first year of life was associated with a substantially reduced risk of developing childhood asthma, which affects about 8% of the children in the US,” said Dr. Rosas-Salazar in the release. “Our findings show an age-dependent association between RSV infection during infancy and childhood asthma.”The researchers hope their findings will inspire long-term monitoring of respiratory outcomes in children as part of ongoing clinical trials for RSV prevention products, including vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.Source: <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-04-25/rsv-in-infancy-could-raise-a-childs-risk-for-asthma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US News</a>

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Infants infected with respiratory syncytial virus in their first year of life have a higher risk of developing asthma later in childhood.