Associations between maternal complications during pregnancy and childhood asthma: a retrospective cohort study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Associations between maternal complications during pregnancy and childhood asthma

T2 - a retrospective cohort study

AU - Ma, Ying

AU - Wu, Yu

AU - Zhang, Yi

AU - Jiao, Ting

AU - Guo, Shuangshuang

AU - Zhang, Dongying

AU - Yang, Jiewen

AU - Deng, Nali

AU - Liang, Zhijiang

AU - Wang, Harry H X

AU - Bao, Wei

AU - Chen, Ruoling

AU - Tang, Jie

AU - Liu, Xiaoqin

PY - 2023/3/1

Y1 - 2023/3/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Studies on the associations between maternal complications during pregnancy and childhood asthma are exclusively conducted in Western countries. The findings are mixed and may not be translated to other populations. We aimed to investigate the associations among the Chinese population and to determine whether the associations were mediated through pre-term birth, caesarean delivery, low birthweight and not breastfeeding in the first 6 months.METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 166 772 children in Guangzhou, China. Information on maternal gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes and gestational anaemia during pregnancy was extracted from medical records. Ever-diagnosis of asthma in children aged 6-12 years was obtained by questionnaire. Logistic regression models and mediation analyses were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals for childhood asthma.RESULTS: Gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes and gestational anaemia during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of ever-diagnosed childhood asthma: aOR 1.48 (95% CI 1.37-1.60), 1.71 (95% CI 1.65-1.78) and 1.34 (95% CI 1.26-1.45), respectively. A stronger association was observed for two or three gestational complications (aOR 2.02 (95% CI 1.93-2.16)) than one gestational complication (aOR 1.64 (95% CI 1.52-1.77)). The aOR for the three gestational complications was 1.35 (95% CI 1.26-1.45), 1.63 (95% CI 1.58-1.70) and 1.32 (95% CI 1.24-1.43), respectively, after controlling for the mediators, including pre-term birth, caesarean delivery, low birthweight and not breastfeeding in the first 6 months.CONCLUSIONS: Gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes and gestational anaemia were associated with childhood asthma, and the associations were partially explained by the mediation effects.

AB - BACKGROUND: Studies on the associations between maternal complications during pregnancy and childhood asthma are exclusively conducted in Western countries. The findings are mixed and may not be translated to other populations. We aimed to investigate the associations among the Chinese population and to determine whether the associations were mediated through pre-term birth, caesarean delivery, low birthweight and not breastfeeding in the first 6 months.METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 166 772 children in Guangzhou, China. Information on maternal gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes and gestational anaemia during pregnancy was extracted from medical records. Ever-diagnosis of asthma in children aged 6-12 years was obtained by questionnaire. Logistic regression models and mediation analyses were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals for childhood asthma.RESULTS: Gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes and gestational anaemia during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of ever-diagnosed childhood asthma: aOR 1.48 (95% CI 1.37-1.60), 1.71 (95% CI 1.65-1.78) and 1.34 (95% CI 1.26-1.45), respectively. A stronger association was observed for two or three gestational complications (aOR 2.02 (95% CI 1.93-2.16)) than one gestational complication (aOR 1.64 (95% CI 1.52-1.77)). The aOR for the three gestational complications was 1.35 (95% CI 1.26-1.45), 1.63 (95% CI 1.58-1.70) and 1.32 (95% CI 1.24-1.43), respectively, after controlling for the mediators, including pre-term birth, caesarean delivery, low birthweight and not breastfeeding in the first 6 months.CONCLUSIONS: Gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes and gestational anaemia were associated with childhood asthma, and the associations were partially explained by the mediation effects.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85156257742&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1183/23120541.00548-2022

DO - 10.1183/23120541.00548-2022

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37057092

SN - 2312-0541

VL - 9

JO - ERJ Open Research

JF - ERJ Open Research

IS - 2

M1 - 00548-2022

ER -