The Association between Neonatal Icterus or Neonatal Phototherapy and the Likelihood of Childhood Asthma among Iranian Children

There might be a close link between neonatal icterus and/or neonatal phototherapy and childhood asthma. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between neonatal icterus and/or phototherapy and the likelihood of childhood asthma among Iranian population. The present case-control study was performed on 102 consecutive asthmatic children hospitalized at Children’s Medical Center, Tehran, Iran. Asthma was diagnosed by a pediatric asthma and allergy specialist based on clinical manifestations and/or spirometry results for children older than 5 years. A total of 113 sex and age-matched children without asthma who were admitted to other wards during the same period of time were selected as the control group. Data were collected by a researcher-made checklist including data regarding participants’ age, gender, and gestational age, history of neonatal icterus and history and duration of phototherapy, filled by participants’ parents/guardians. There was a significant difference between cases and controls with respect to preterm birth, history of phototherapy and duration of phototherapy. History of icterus was not associated with childhood asthma. In the multivariable logistic regression model, both history of phototherapy (P=0.029), and duration of phototherapy (P=0.03) were considered as determinants for occurrence of childhood asthma. According to the results, history of neonatal icterus was not associated with childhood asthma, but history and duration of phototherapy were both determinants of childhood asthma.