Recurrent Wheeze Risk Linked With Prenatal Exposure to Acid Suppressants

This article is part of Pulmonology Advisor‘s coverage of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology annual meeting, taking place in San Francisco, California. Our staff will report on medical research related to asthma, allergy, and other respiratory conditions, conducted by experts in the field. Check back regularly for more news from AAAAI 2019.

SAN FRANCISCO — Prenatal exposure to acid suppressant medication in infants with a history of severe bronchiolitis may increase the risk of developing recurrent wheeze by age 3, according to research presented at the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting, held February 22-25, 2019, in San Francisco, California.

Researchers analyzed the risk of developing recurrent wheeze in a prospective cohort study following infants with severe bronchiolitis. Data were collected on infants hospitalized for bronchiolitis using a parent report to determine demographics, pregnancy medication usage, gestational variables, and delivery methods. Then these infants were followed until the age of 3 to monitor for the development of recurrent wheeze and asthma.

Of the 900 infants included in the data analysis, 144 were exposed to acid suppressant medication prenatally and 39% of these infants developed recurrent wheeze by 3 years of age. Of the 756 infants not exposed to acid suppressant medication prenatally, 31% developed recurrent wheeze (unadjusted hazard ratio, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.03-1.85). After adjusting for demographic variables, the multivariable Cox-proportional hazards models indicated an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.40 (95% CI, 1.02-1.91) for children exposed to acid suppressant medication prenatally developing wheeze.

The researchers concluded, “In this high-risk cohort of US children with a history of severe bronchiolitis, prenatal exposure to [acid suppressant medication] further increased the risk of developing recurrent wheeze by 3 years of age.”

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Reference

Robinson LB, Chen Arroyo AJ, Dantas MAS, Espinola JA, Sullivan AF, Camargo CA Jr. Prenatal exposure to acid suppressant medications and the risk of recurrent wheeze at 3 years of age in children with a history of severe bronchiolitis. Presented at: American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting 2019; February 22-25, 2019; San Francisco, CA. Abstract 238.