Register for Endotoxin Exposure Causes Wheezing In First Year Of Life
PediatricsMarch 5, 2001
2001 MAR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study in the February 2001 American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, molecules commonly found in house dust can cause babies to wheeze during their first year of life.
Endotoxins, tiny molecules that form the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria which are found in house dust, were associated with infant wheezing and could promote persistent wheezing during the first year of life among babies with a family history of allergy or asthma. The researchers found that exposure to elevated levels of endotoxin, often in family room and bed dust, caused airway inflammation, triggering wheeze and promoting persistent wheeze in some infants.
During the first three months after birth, the investigators visited 499 infants' houses and vacuumed dust from multiple sites throughout the dwelling. They found that endotoxin in family room dust was strongly and significantly associated with endotoxin in baby's bed dust. They also found that the presence of a dog in the house had a strong and significant association with measured endotoxin in family room dust.
The researchers noted that, in white infants, the elevated endotoxin exposure was associated with a 56% increased risk of repeated wheeze. This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports.
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