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Introduction: Asthma affects up to 300 million people worldwide. In Panama, 60% of the consultations to Pneumology in the Hospital del Niño are due to asthma.
Objective: To determine the risk factors associated with the development of bronchial asthma in children from 2 to 12 years of age treated in the Hospital del Niño during April - June, 2007.
Materials and Methods: Observational, analytical, retrospective study of non-paired cases and controls. Universe: It corresponded to children from 2 to 12 years of age in the Emergency Room, Respiratory Short Stay, and Medicine Ward #6 of the Hospital del Niño. Sample: Calculated with a formula for the study of non-paired cases and controls, it was 183 cases and 183 controls, selected at random, to which a survey was applied. The data were analyzed in EpiInfo v.3.3.2; the test of X2 for the statistical significance and the test of crossed products for the association level were made.
Results: A statistically significant difference exists for the variables Personal History of: bronchopneumonia (OR=8.43), pneumonia (OR=8.2), bronchiolitis (OR=3.66), allergic rhinitis (OR=3.87), and nourishing allergy (OR=3.30); Family History of: asthma (OR=3.56) and atopy (OR=1.65). Also for the gestational age < 37 weeks (OR=2.4) and exclusive breastfeeding < 4 months (OR=1.55).
Conclusion: Children with a personal history of bronchopneumonia, pneumonia, allergic rhinitis, bronchiolitis, nourishing allergy; family history of asthma, atopy; gestational age less than 37 weeks, and exclusive breastfeeding less than four months present more risk of developing asthma.
