Search

Objective To determine changes in childhood and parental asthma prevalence in Merseyside between 1991 and 1998. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: A study was carried out to analyse the impact of maternal asthma on the risk of preterm delivery and the contribution of preterm delivery to the development of childhood asthma.Methods: Two cross sectional community studies of 1872 children (5-11 years) in 1991 and 3746 children in 1993 were performed. A respiratory health questionnaire was distributed throughout 15 schools in Merseyside and completed by the parents of the children.Results: Asthmatic mothers were more likely to have a preterm delivery than non-asthmatic mothers (odds ratio (OR) 1.49; 95% CI 1.10 to 2.02). Smoking was a separate risk factor for preterm delivery (OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.65). Asthmatic mothers did not have an increased risk of delivering small, growth retarded babies. Maternal asthma, paternal asthma, and premature birth, in that order, increased the risk of later childhood respiratory morbidity (OR 3.13, 95% CI 2.36 to 4.16; 2.23, 95% CI 1.62 to 3.05; 1.40, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.79). Conversely, babies who were small for gestational age appeared less likely to develop doctor diagnosed asthma or the symptom triad of cough, wheeze, and breathlessness in childhood, although this was not statistically significant (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.28 to 1.41).Conclusions: Maternal smoking during pregnancy and maternal asthma are independent risk factors associated with preterm delivery. Asthma in mothers predisposes to preterm delivery but not fetal growth retardation. Preterm birth, but not growth retardation, predisposes the child to the development of subsequent asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure amongst primary school children. Methods: A descriptive, community-based, cross-sectional study of self-reported parental smoking patterns and children's salivary cotinine concentrations in 245 children aged 5-11 years attending 10 primary schools in Liverpool. Results: The mean age was 7.4 years. The percentage of children living in smoking households was higher than the average reported for England (61.4% vs 53.0%). The average daily number of cigarettes smoked was similar for fathers (15.8) and mothers (16.4). The mean salivary cotinine concentration (±SD) was 1.6±0.4 ng/ml, and was higher in boys than girls (1.9±0.4 vs 1.2±0.2 ng/ml, P=0.006). The mean cotinine concentration was higher amongst children less than 7 years of age compared with older children (1.9±0.9 vs 1.4±0.6 ng/ml, P=0.01). Children from disadvantaged socio-economic households (Townsend score > +6) had a mean cotinine level of 1.9±0.4 ng/ml, and a higher risk of a positive cotinine-validated level (≥1 ng/ml) [crude odds ratio (OR) 3.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-5.2). Maternal, but not paternal, cigarette smoke exposure was significantly associated with the salivary cotinine-validated level in children (adjusted OR 2.5, 95%CI 1.8-3.4). Conclusions: Maternal smoking, age less than 7 years, child's gender (male) and low socio-economic status were significant risk factors associated with ETS exposure in young school children in Liverpool The level of childhood ETS exposure in this area demonstrates a major public health concern that creates a challenge for innovative interactive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about how population-attributable risks (PAR) for adverse birth outcomes due to smoking differ in adolescent and adult pregnancies. Methods: An analysis of community and hospital-based cross-sectional studies in Liverpool was undertaken to estimate the PAR values of tow birthweight (LBW), preterm birth, and small for gestational age (SGA) births resulting from pregnancy smoking covering the period between 1983 and 2003. Maternal smoking status and pregnancy outcomes were available for a sample of 12 631 women. Results: The prevalence of maternal pregnancy smoking was 40% in the community sample and 33% in adults and 40% among adolescent pregnancies in the hospital sample. The PAR values (95% CI) associated with LBW, preterm birth and SGA outcomes due to maternal pregnancy smoking in the community sample were 27% (25-30), 13% (11-15) and 25% (23-27), respectively. The PAR values in adults in the hospital sample were 29% (27-31) for LBW, 16% (14-19) for preterm birth and 28% (26-31) for SGA. The corresponding PAR values in adolescents were 39% (34-43), 12% (7-18) and 31% (23-40). The LBW risk attributed to pregnancy smoking in adolescents was significantly higher than for adults (P = 0.05). Conclusion: About one-third of LBW, one-quarter of SGA and one-sixth of preterm births could be attributed to maternal smoking during pregnancy. The magnitude of the problem was greater among adolescent pregnancies, among whom a sub-group of mothers with very high risk for adverse birth outcomes due to pregnancy smoking was identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Maternal smoking during pregnancy is linked to high fetal testosterone (FT), and an increased risk in offspring for autism, ADHD, conduct disorder, antisocial behaviour and criminal outcomes. The ratio of the length of the 2nd and 4th fingers (2D:4D) is thought to be negatively related to FT concentration, and is related to autism, hyperactivity, poor social behaviour, and physical aggression. We compare the 2D:4D ratio of children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy with the 2D:4D of children whose mother did not smoke., Method: Cross-sectional survey in two primary schools. Questionnaires were distributed to 710 children and 546 were returned. Of these the 2nd and 4th digits of 520 children (259 females and 261 males) were measured. The main outcome measures were 2nd and 4th digit length, smoking history of mother and father., Results: Boys had lower mean 2D:4D than girls and right 2D:4D was lower than left. Among boys, those whose mother's smoked during pregnancy had lower right hand 2D:4D ratio than those whose mother did not smoke. The difference remained significant after the effects of age, height, weight and birth weight were removed. Other household smoking patterns were not associated with male offspring 2D:4D. Female offspring 2D:4D did not differ on the basis of maternal smoking., Conclusions: Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with low right 2D:4D in children, but the effect was restricted to boys. A link between maternal smoking during pregnancy and 2D:4D supports a causal association between FT and such behaviours as hyperactivity and conduct disorder.

The prevalence of hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) and surface antigen (HBsAg) in the Somali population in Liverpool is described and groups who may benefit from vaccination are identified. A cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken. A total of 439 subjects, aged between 10 months and 80 years, from 151 households, were screened for anti-HBc and HBsAg. One hundred ninety-four (44.2%) were children aged less than 15 years. Three hundred and nine (69%) of enrolled subjects were born in Somalia, 122 (27.2%) were born in the UK and 8 were born elsewhere. Of the study population, 5.7% were carriers of HBsAg, with the highest prevalence in adults aged 20 to 44 years (9.4%). A history of circumcision (RR 95% CI; 1.2, 1.1-1.5) was the most significant risk factor for HBsAg carriage, but was not significant on multivariate analysis. Prevalence of anti-HBc was 27.5%, and increased with age over the first four decades. Univariate analysis showed that a history of living in a refugee camp (RR 95% CI; 3.1, 1.7-5.7), receiving an injection in Somalia (2.1, 1.7-2.5), a history of circumcision or other surgical procedure in Somalia (1.4, 1.3-1.6) and being born in Somalia (1.3, 1.2-1.4) were significant risk factors for anti-HBc positivity. On multivariate analysis, only circumcision (OR 95% CI; 4.3, 1.8-10.3) and receiving an injection in Somalia (2.5, 1.5-4.4) remained significant. Seven of 80 (8.7%) children born in the UK and aged five years or less had evidence of exposure to hepatitis B, of whom only one had a close family member identified to be HBsAg seropositive. Previous infection with hepatitis B is common in this population. Horizontal transmission may be continuing at an early age within the UK, suggesting a population of at risk individuals who would benefit from surveillance and immunisation. Community circumcision is a risk factor for hepatitis B transmission and best practice should be followed when this procedure is undertaken.