Maternal atopy and changes in parity

Clin Exp Allergy. 2005 Aug;35(8):1028-32. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2005.02300.x.

Abstract

Background: Atopic women tend to have fewer children, although atopy may favour conception.

Objective: To assess whether atopy is associated with the number of new births and whether changes in parity are associated with a change in atopy in a cohort of young women.

Methods: Women had atopy (defined as the presence of serum-specific IgE against common aeroallergens) measured in the European Community Respiratory Health Study during the years 1991--92 (n=4580). About 9 years later, 2844 (62.1%) were recontacted and 2414 (52.7%) had atopy measured again.

Results: Atopic women had fewer children at baseline than non-atopic women but the association disappeared at the end of the follow-up. Atopy tended to increase parity during the follow-up, but in a non-statistically significant way (relative risk=1.08; 0.86-1.35, after adjusting for number of children at baseline, age, length of follow-up, education or social class). Prevalence of atopy during the follow-up changed by the same magnitude whatever the birth cohort and the change in the number of children (P for interaction >0.7).

Conclusion: Atopic women did not have a significantly higher fertility rate but they may postpone having their first child compared with non-atopic women. We are unable to confirm the hypothesis that atopy in women may decrease with successive pregnancies.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Allergens / immunology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Hypersensitivity / epidemiology
  • Hypersensitivity / immunology*
  • Immune Tolerance / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin E / blood
  • Maternal Age
  • Mothers
  • Parity*
  • Pregnancy
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Socioeconomic Factors

Substances

  • Allergens
  • Immunoglobulin E