BackgroundA relationship between hospitalization for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis and asthma development has been suggested in case-control studies.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the risk of current wheeze, asthma, and lung function at school age in infants previously hospitalized for RSV bronchiolitis compared to non-hospitalized children.MethodsFor this study, data from a prospective birth cohort of unselected, term-born infants (n = 553), of whom 4 (0.7%) were hospitalized for RSV bronchiolitis, and a prospective patient cohort of 155 term infants hospitalized for RSV bronchiolitis were used. Respiratory outcomes at age 6 in children hospitalized for RSV bronchiolitis were compared to non-hospitalized children.ResultsThe risk of current wheeze was higher in hospitalized patients (n = 159) compared to non-hospitalized children (n = 549) (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.2 (95% CI 1.2–8.1). Similarly, the risk of current asthma, defined as a doctor’s diagnosis of asthma plus current symptoms or medication use, was higher in hospitalized patients (adjusted OR 3.1 (95% CI 1.3–7.5). Compared to non-hospitalized children, RSV bronchiolitis hospitalization was associated with lower lung function (mean difference FEV1% predicted −6.8 l (95% CI (−10.2 to −3.4).Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceThis is the first study showing that hospitalization for RSV bronchiolitis during infancy is associated with increased risk of wheezing, current asthma, and impaired lung function as compared to an unselected birth cohort at age 6.

It is unknown why respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes mild disease in some children and severe disease, requiring hospitalisation, in others. We aimed to assess whether diminished premorbid lung function in healthy term infants predisposes to hospitalisation during RSV bronchiolitis, and to post-RSV wheeze.In a prospective birth cohort study of unselected term healthy children, neonatal lung function was measured before the age of 2 months (n52133). From birth through the first year of life, respiratory symptoms were recorded in a diary, and general practitioner consultations and hospitalisations were documented. In a subgroup (n5417) repeated nose and throat swabs were collected for PCR to detect RSV infections.Median neonatal respiratory system compliance (Crs) was significantly lower (41.2 versus 47.4 mL?kPa -1 , p50.03) and resistance (Rrs) was higher (8.2 versus 6.3 kPa?s?L -1 , p50.10) in hospitalised RSV patients (n518) compared with nonhospitalised RSV-positive infants (n584). Every 10 mL?kPa -1 increase in Crs was associated with 55% less post-RSV wheeze (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.35-0.90), and each kPa?s?L -1 increase in Rrs was associated with 42% more post-RSV wheeze, which was only marginally explained by pre-RSV wheeze or severity of the RSV disease.This unselected birth cohort study shows for the first time that decreased lung function at birth predisposes to severe RSV disease, and to post-RSV wheeze. @ERSpublications Impaired neonatal lung function precedes a severe course of RSV infection in unselected children

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Data on baseline characteristics of children with asthma to predict individual treatment responses are lacking. We aimed to set up a data-collection system which can easily fill this gap in clinical practice.A web-based application was developed, named 'Portal for children with respiratory and allergic symptoms', hereafter called Electronic Portal (EP). It contains health- and disease-related questionnaires on respiratory- and allergic diseases. All patients, 1–18 years of age, with respiratory- and/or allergic complaints are invited to enter the EP before their first visit. By using the EP large amounts of data, gathered during routine patient care can be used for research purposes. This may help to further investigate the different treatment related asthma phenotypes and will be helpful to monitor risk factors for other atopic diseases and respiratory infections.