Pregnancy Complications and Childhood Asthma

Pregnancy complication may predispose some children born prematurely to asthma.
USA Today (2/2, Rubin) reports that chorioamnionitis, "inflammation of the fetal membranes and amniotic fluid from a bacterial infection," appears to be "linked to more than half of all preterm births." Although the infection "wasn't linked to an increased risk of being diagnosed with asthma by age eight" in full term births, among preemies, "the condition was associated with double the risk of childhood asthma in blacks, a 70% increase in Hispanics, and a 66% increase in whites." According to a paper in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, "researchers observed these differences even after accounting for other possible risk factors, such as whether the mother smoked or had asthma herself."
The Los Angeles Times (2/2, Maugh) reports that "many studies have looked at the risk of asthma related to caesarean sections, exposure to antibiotics, and other factors related to delivery." However, lead investigator Dr. Darios "Getahun speculated that the infections -- which can be caused by a broad variety of bacteria -- cause inflammation of the fetal lungs, either injuring the lungs or predisposing them to react more severely to future environmental insults."