High birth weight and childhood asthma: A meta-analysis and systematic review

Background In the last 20 years Asthma and Obesity have increased concomitantly in westerns countries. Both Asthma and Obesity are major public health issues that stem from childhood. Research has also indicated obesity as a factor in the development of childhood asthma due to an increase in cytokine causing a bronchial hyper responsiveness; this compounded with the mechanical complications complement the pathophysiology of Bronchial Asthma. . The aim of this study is to analyse the effect of high body weight at birth on the future risk of asthma, as both asthma and obesity stem from foetal and early childhood stages.

Methods We performed a literature search using PubMed, Highwire, and The Cochrane Library, using the keywords ‘high birth weight', and ‘asthma', ‘children' up to February 2011. Adjusted effect sizes on odds of asthma in children with high birth weight or ponderal index were pooled by mean of weighted average to generate pooled summary fixed or random estimates, depending on Cochran Q heterogeneity test.

Results On a set of five consistent studies included in our meta-analysis (Cochran Q test p value = 0.69, I2 null), high birth weight was not found to be associated with asthma in children (fixed – effect meta OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.83, 1.02).

Conclusions Our study suggests that high birth weight is unrelated to childhood asthma. More generally, birth weight may not play a role in the development of asthma, since Other research that reported a probable association with low weight were confounded by prematurity.