Table 5

Respiratory infection in the first year of life and subsequent asthma risk after age 10 years and after age 16 years, stratified by gestational age

Asthma n (%)No asthma n (%)HR (95% CI)p ValueHR* (95% CI)p Value
Asthma ≥age 10 years
Gestational age (weeks)
≤27
 Infection45 (17.9)207 (82.1)1.83 (1.30 to 2.57)0.0011.99 (1.40 to 2.82)<0.001
 No infection123 (10.1)1098 (89.9)ReferenceReference
28–31
 Infection116 (16.0)607 (84.0)1.43 (1.17 to 1.76)0.0011.52 (1.24 to 1.87)<0.001
 No infection411 (11.5)3167 (88.5)ReferenceReference
32–36
 Infection635 (16.3)3271 (83.7)1.39 (1.27 to 1.52)<0.0011.46 (1.33 to 1.59)<0.001
 No infection2328 (11.9)17 200 (88.1)ReferenceReference
37–41
 Infection5541 (15.9)29 298 (84.1)1.44 (1.40 to 1.48)<0.0011.49 (1.45 to 1.54)<0.001
 No infection19 637 (11.3)154 557 (88.7)ReferenceReference
>41
 Infection397 (15.8)2110 (84.2)1.51 (1.35 to 1.69)<0.0011.57 (1.41 to 1.76)<0.001
 No infection1340 (10.7)11 195 (89.3)ReferenceReference
Uncertain
 Infection19 (17.8)88 (82.2)1.93 (1.14 to 3.28)0.0152.05 (1.19 to 3.55)0.010
 No infection50 (9.3)488 (90.7)ReferenceReference
Asthma ≥age 16 years
Gestational age (weeks)
≤27
 Infection22 (8.8)227 (91.2)1.56 (0.96 to 2.52)0.0681.65 (1.01 to 2.71)0.047
 No infection69 (5.7)1132 (94.3)ReferenceReference
28–31
 Infection65 (9.2)638 (90.8)1.41 (1.07 to 1.86)0.0141.45 (1.10 to 1.91)0.009
 No infection233 (6.7)3249 (93.3)ReferenceReference
32–36
 Infection396 (10.5)3362 (89.5)1.43 (1.28 to 1.60)<0.0011.49 (1.34 to 1.68)<0.001
 No infection1410 (7.5)17 379 (92.5)ReferenceReference
37–41
 Infection3227 (9.7)30 040 (90.3)1.37 (1.32 to 1.42)<0.0011.42 (1.37 to 1.48)<0.001
 No infection11 987 (7.2)154 347 (92.8)ReferenceReference
>41
 Infection248 (10.3)2161 (89.7)1.58 (1.37 to 1.82)<0.0011.64 (1.42 to 1.90)<0.001
 No infection801 (6.7)11 244 (93.3)ReferenceReference
Uncertain
 Infection16 (15.2)89 (84.8)2.48 (1.37 to 4.51)0.0032.72 (1.47 to 5.04)0.002
 No infection33 (6.2)496 (93.8)ReferenceReference
  • *Adjusted for child's sex, maternal asthma, maternal age at delivery, year of birth, maternal smoking, birth weight, infection during first year of life, parity and chronic lung disease.