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Review
. 2019 Apr;19(2):148-153.
doi: 10.1097/ACI.0000000000000516.

Phenotypes of wheezing and asthma in preschool children

Christina G Kwong  1 , Leonard B Bacharier
Affiliations
Review

Phenotypes of wheezing and asthma in preschool children

Christina G Kwong et al. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Purpose of review: The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the identified phenotypes of preschool wheezing.

Recent findings: Early life wheezing patterns have been described in multiple populations, with several commonalities found between cohorts. Early life environmental exposures have been found to be differentially associated with preschool wheezing phenotypes and their future trajectories. These include allergen and microbe exposure, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, and maternal stress and depression. Elevated IgE in early life may also influence future asthma risk.

Summary: Preschool wheezing phenotypes are heterogeneous and complex, with trajectories that are related to factors including environmental exposures. More research is needed to characterize these relationships, hopefully leading to targeted prevention strategies.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest

Christina Kwong: No financial or commercial interests to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:. Comparing the historic birth cohorts
*includes infrequent wheezers **includes atopic and nonatopic sub-phenotypes
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Original and modified asthma predictive index criteria
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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