Children with East Asian-born parents have an increased risk of allergy but may not have more asthma in early childhood

Publication date: Available online 24 August 2018

Source: The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice

Author(s): Noor H.A. Suaini, Jennifer J. Koplin, Rachel L. Peters, Mari Sasaki, Justine A. Ellis, David J. Martino, Adrian J. Lowe, Mimi L.K. Tang, Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Lyle C. Gurrin, Shyamali C. Dharmage, Katrina J. Allen, HealthNuts study group

Abstract

Background

We previously reported that infants with Asian-born parents are three times more likely to have IgE-mediated food allergy than those with Australian-born parents. It is unknown whether this translates to increased risk of other allergic diseases later in childhood and whether ancestry interacts with other risk factors for allergic disease development.

Objective

To compare prevalence and risk factors for allergic rhinitis, asthma and aeroallergen sensitisation at age 6 between children with East Asian-born and Caucasian-born parents.

Methods

5276 1-year-old infants were recruited into a population-based longitudinal study of allergy. 4455 children participated in age 6 follow-up (84.4%), including 3015 with Caucasian-born parents and 415 with East Asian-born parents. Children underwent skin prick tests to aeroallergens and questionnaires captured data on asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis.

Results

Compared to children with Caucasian-born parents, children of East Asian-born parents had more allergic rhinitis (19.9% [95%CI 14.9-26] versus 9.3% [95%CI 8-10.8], p<0.001) and aeroallergen sensitisation (64.3% [95%CI 57.5-70.5] versus 34.4% [95%CI 32.2-36.7], p<0.001) at age 6. Asthma was similar in both groups (9.1% [95%CI 6.2-13.2] versus 11.7% [95%CI 10.4-13.1]), p=0.21. Children with IgE-mediated food allergy and eczema in infancy were 3 times more likely to have asthma and 2 times more likely to have allergic rhinitis at age 6, irrespective of ancestry.

Conclusions

Children of East Asian ancestry born in Australia have a higher burden of most allergic diseases in the first 6 years of life, while asthma may follow a different pattern. IgE-mediated food allergy and eczema at age 1 increase the risk of asthma and allergic rhinitis irrespective of ancestry.