Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2023 Mar 1;23(1):96.
doi: 10.1186/s12887-023-03870-0.

Early exposure to infections increases the risk of allergic rhinitis-a systematic review and meta-analysis

JunRong Chen #  1 , Xiaohua Liu #  1   2 , Zixin Liu  1   3 , Yaqian Zhou  1   4 , Li Xie  1 , Jialin Zhang  1 , Jin Tan  1 , Yide Yang  5 , Mei Tian  1 , Yunpeng Dong #  6 , Jian Li #  7   8
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Early exposure to infections increases the risk of allergic rhinitis-a systematic review and meta-analysis

JunRong Chen et al. BMC Pediatr. .

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide evidence for early life care by meta-analyzing the relationship between infection during pregnancy and up to 2 years of age and the risk of subsequent allergic rhinitis (AR).

Methods: Published studies up to April 2022 were systematically searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, CNKI, Wanfang Database, and VIP. Literature screening, including quality assessment, was performed, and the effect values (OR, HR, RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of infection during pregnancy and up to 2 years of age and allergic rhinitis were extracted from each qualified study.

Results: In total, 5 studies with a sample size of 82,256 reported the relationship between infection during pregnancy and offspring AR. Meta-analysis showed that maternal infection during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of childhood AR in offspring (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.08-1.67). Altogether, 13 studies with a sample size of 78,426 reported evidence of an association between infection within 2 years of age and subsequent AR in children. A pooled meta-analysis of all studies showed that early infection within 2 years of age was closely associated with childhood AR (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.12-1.40), especially upper respiratory tract infection (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.06-1.65) and gastrointestinal infections (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.01-1.86), but ear infection showed similar results in the cohort study (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04-1.22).

Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that infection during pregnancy, early upper respiratory infection, gastrointestinal infections and ear infection within 2 years of age would increase the risk of AR in children. Therefore, the prevention of infection during pregnancy and in infancy and young children needs to be emphasized.

Keywords: Allergic rhinitis; Children; Infections; Meta-analysis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Screening flow chart
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Meta-analysis of infection during pregnancy and the risk of AR
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Meta-analysis of infection within 2 years of age and the risk of allergic rhinitis
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Funnel plots
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Filled funnel plot
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Clinical Practice Guideline Diagnosis and treatment in children with allergic rhinitis. Chin J Pract Pediatr. 2019;34(03):169–175.
    1. Blaiss MS, Hammerby E, Robinson S, et al. The burden of allergic rhinitis and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis on adolescents: a literature review. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2018;121(1):43–52.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2018.03.028. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pols DH, Wartna JB, Van Alphen EI, et al. Interrelationships between atopic disorders in children: a meta-analysis based on ISAAC questionnaires. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):e0131869. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131869. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cohen R, Gutvirtz G, Wainstock T, et al. Maternal urinary tract infection during pregnancy and long-term infectious morbidity of the offspring. Early Hum Dev. 2019;136:54–59. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2019.07.002. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Huang J, Zheng L, Su Y, et al. Effects of group B streptococcus infection on vaginal micro-ecology and pregnancy outcomes of pregnant women in late pregnancy. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2021;267:274–279. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2021.11.419. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types