- Low Birth Weight. Infants of low birth weight are at higher risk for lung problems and asthma.
- Winter Birth. Children born in the winter may have a greater risk for asthmatic allergies to cockroaches than children born at other times of the year.
- Breastfeeding. Exclusively breastfeeding for a baby’s first 3 months of life may help reduce the risk for wheezing and asthma during their early. However, it is unclear whether the protection will last into later childhood. Breastfeeding has many other benefits for the child. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively breastfeeding for a baby's first 6 months.
- Complications of Pregnancy. Complications of pregnancy, specifically those involving the mother's uterus (such as post-birth hemorrhage, pre-term contractions, insufficient placenta, and restricted growth of the uterus), are associated with an increased risk of childhood asthma.
Obesity
There is a strong association between obesity and asthma. People who are overweight (body mass index greater than 25) also have more difficulty getting their asthma under control. Weight loss in anyone who is obese and has asthma or shortness of breath helps reduce airway obstruction and improve lung function. [For more information, see In-Depth Report #53: Weight control and diet.].
Other Risk Factors
GERD. At least half of patients with asthma also have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the cause of heartburn. It is not entirely clear which condition causes the other or whether they are both due to common factors. Treating GERD does not appear to improve asthma control. [For more information, see In-Depth Report #85: Heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease.]
Aspirin-Induced Asthma. Aspirin-induced asthma (AIA) is a condition in which asthma gets worse after taking aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). AIA often develops after a viral infection. It is a particularly severe asthmatic condition, associated with many asthma-related hospitalizations. In about 5% of cases, aspirin is responsible for a syndrome that involves multiple attacks of asthma, sinusitis, and nasal congestion. Such patients also often have polyps (small benign growths) in the nasal passages.
Patients with aspirin-induced asthma (AIA) should avoid aspirin and other NSAIDs, including ibuprofen (Advil and other brands, generic) and naproxen (Aleve, generic).
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Review Date: 05/03/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical
School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
