The effect of respiratory syncytial virus on subsequent recurrent wheezing in atopic and nonatopic children

Background Although respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in early life are followed by later airway hyperreactivity, it is unclear whether there is a causal relationship between this and an atopic diathesis. Objectives To separate the effects of RSV LRTI and an atopic diathesis on subsequent recurrent wheezing, we examined the protective effect of previous palivizumab administration against subsequent recurrent wheeze in infants with and without a family history of atopy. Methods A prospective multicenter, matched, double cohort study was conducted in 27 centers in Europe and Canada. The rates of physician-diagnosed recurrent wheezing in premature infants