Study links infant RSV to higher asthma risk

An international team of scientists has found compelling evidence that earlyinfancy infection with respiratory syncytial virus RSV significantly increases the risk of developing childhood asthmaThe risk is especially higher in children with a family history of allergy or asthmaThe study published in the Science Immunology journal suggests that protecting newborns against RSV could substantially reduce asthma cases later in lifeChildhood asthma is a complex disease with many contributing factors said Prof Bart Lambrecht from VIB the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology and Ghent University in BelgiumWe found that earlylife RSV infection and genetic allergy risk interact in a very specific way that pushes the immune system toward asthma The encouraging news is that this process can be prevented Lambrecht addedThe team including researchers from Denmark combined populationwide health registry data from all Danish children and their parents with controlled laboratory experiments They found that early viral infection and inherited allergy risk amplify one anotherInfants who experience severe RSV infections in the first months of life show an increased likelihood of immune cells overreacting to common allergens such as house dust mitesThis effect is dramatically intensified when asthma or allergy runs in the family as allergenspecific antibodies passed from parents to the newborn further heighten sensitivityImportantly the team found that when newborns were protected from RSV in experimental models these harmful immune shifts did not occur and asthma development was preventedWith RSV prevention now becoming widely accessible we have an opportunity to improve longterm respiratory health not just prevent RSV hospitalisations said Prof Hamida Hammad VIBUGentThis is not just a laboratory insight Its a message that should help parents choose RSV prevention with confidence Hammad addedMaternal vaccination during the third trimester of pregnancy and passive immunisation of newborns with longacting antibodies are being introduced in many countries Yet despite their strong ability to prevent RSV hospitalisations uptake remains inconsistentThis is a moment where policy science and paediatricians can come together Lambrecht said If preventing RSV infection also reduces asthma risk the benefits for families and health systems could be enormousThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever