Prevalence and factors associated with the development of asthma in a cohort of children who were preterm infants and received passive immunization with palivizumab
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective: To assess the prevalence of asthma in a cohort of preterm infants, comparing those who received prophylaxis with palivizumab, a monoclonal antibody against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), with those who did not. That is relevant because RSV infection has been linked to recurrent wheezing and asthma in childhood, but a causal relationship remains unclear. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study involving children who were preterm infants without congenital heart disease, exposed or not to palivizumab. Parents or legal guardians answered a telephone questionnaire adapted from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, which covers respiratory symptoms, allergy history, and potential risk factors. Results: Among 292 eligible children, 217 were included (149 in the palivizumab group and 68 in the control group). Of those 217 infants, 25.3% (95% CI:19.9-31.5%) had asthma: 24.2% (95% CI: 17.8-31.5%) in the palivizumab group and 27.9% (95% CI: 18.3-39.5%) in the control group, with no significant difference (p = 0.553). In the bivariate analysis, asthma was significantly associated with a family history of atopy (p < 0.001), parental asthma (p = 0.006), allergic rhinitis in the child (p < 0.001), and atopic dermatitis in the child (p = 0.022). In the multivariate analysis, asthma remained associated with a family history of atopy (adjusted OR = 4.16; 95% CI: 1.77-9.79), allergic rhinitis in the child (adjusted OR = 5.10; 95% CI: 2.59-10.02), and parental asthma (adjusted OR = 2.45; 95% CI: 1.19-5.04). Conclusions: Palivizumab does not seem to protect against asthma development in preterm infants without congenital heart disease. A family history of atopy, parental asthma, and allergic rhinitis in the child seem to be the primary determinants of asthma risk in such infants.
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7220466467