Relationship between the sensitization to outdoor aeroallergen and the month of birth

Abstracts S87

SATURDAY

J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL VOLUME 113, NUMBER 2

252

Relationship Between the Sensitization to Outdoor Aeroallergen and the Month of Birth

Y. M. Park, H. Choi, Y. Ahn, K. Son; Pediatrics, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, REPUBLIC OF KOREA. RATIONALE: Early sensitization to outdoor aeroallergens such as tree, weed and grass pollen in infancy is very important in development of seasonal bronchial asthma or allergic rhinitis. There is suggestion that pollen contact during the first six months of life increase the risk of pollen allergy for twenty years or later. The aim of our investigation was to identify the relationship between the sensitization to outdoor aeroallergens and the month of birth in childhood respiratory allergic disorders. METHODS: Seventy tree seasonal allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthmatic children were enrolled for this study, and skin prick test was done for each patient to detect the sensitized allergens. Ragweed, mugwort, alder, hazelnut, elm, willow, birch, beech, oak, plane tree, orchard and timothy grass were used for outdoor aeroallergens. The relative risk (RR) for development of hypersensitivity to outdoor aeroallergen in certain month born children was calculated. RESULTS: We found that relative risk of immediate hypersensitivity to each outdoor aeroallergen was dependent on the month of birth. Tree pollen was the most common sensitizing allergen in children who were born in May (RR=1.91, P=0.03), weed pollen was in September born children (RR=2.07, P=0.03), and grass pollen was in June born children (RR=3.72, P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure in early infancy to outdoor aeroallergens is an important risk factor of the subsequent development of bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis. Funding: Self-funded