Journal article

Preterm birth and low birth weight continue to increase the risk of asthma from age 7 to 43

MC Matheson, ALP D´Olhaberriague, JA Burgess, GG Giles, JL Hopper, DP Johns, MJ Abramson, EH Walters, SC Dharmage

Journal of Asthma | TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD | Published : 2017

Abstract

Background: Perinatal events can influence the development of asthma in childhood but current evidence is contradictory concerning the effects on life-time asthma risk. Objective: To assess the relationship between birth characteristics and asthma from childhood to adulthood. Methodology: All available birth records for the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS) cohort, born in 1961 were obtained from the Tasmanian State Archives and Tasmanian hospitals. Low birth weight (LBW) was defined as less than 2500 grams. Preterm birth was defined as delivery before 37 weeks' gestation. Small for gestational age (SGA) was defined as a birth weight below the 10th percentile for a given gestational..

View full abstract