Asthma is the most prevalent chronic disease of childhood. Based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study, the global incident cases of asthma in children increased by 7.07% from 1990 to 2019, the highest incidence being observed in children under 5 years old.1 Among these youngest children, asthma is difficult to diagnose, and is often defined by wheezing episodes characterised by their start date (early or late infancy) and/or their duration (transient or persistent).2 Epidemiological studies across different populations have revealed the key role of environmental factors in influencing the evolution from wheezing in early life to asthma, including genetic predisposition, viruses, allergic sensitisation, early-life exposure to tobacco smoke and interaction with the microbiome.3 It is now better recognised that exposure to poor outdoor and indoor air quality affects respiratory health throughout life, starting from the antenatal period onwards, and children living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face increased challenges in terms of air quality, particularly due to additional sources of indoor pollution including increased reliance on solid fuels, open fires and rapid urbanisation.4 A better understanding of the associations between environmental factors, particularly those that are preventable, and the persistence of wheezing is essential for the prevention and management of asthma. To date, results from longitudinal epidemiological studies on antenatal exposure …

中文翻译：

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南非产前接触烟草和生物质或化石燃料以及幼儿期喘息


哮喘是儿童期最常见的慢性疾病。根据全球疾病负担、伤害和危险因素研究，从 1990 年到 2019 年，全球儿童哮喘发病病例增加了 7.07%，其中 5 岁以下儿童的发病率最高。1 在这些年龄最小的儿童中，哮喘发病率最高。很难诊断，通常通过喘息发作来定义，其特征是其开始日期（婴儿早期或晚期）和/或持续时间（短暂或持续）。2 不同人群的流行病学研究揭示了环境因素在影响中的关键作用从生命早期的喘息到哮喘的演变，包括遗传倾向、病毒、过敏、早年接触烟草烟雾以及与微生物组的相互作用。3 现在人们更好地认识到，暴露在室外和室内质量差的环境中会影响呼吸系统健康从产前时期开始，生活在低收入和中等收入国家 (LMIC) 的儿童在整个生命周期中都面临着越来越多的空气质量挑战，特别是由于室内污染源增加，包括对固体燃料、明火的依赖增加4 更好地了解环境因素（尤其是可预防的环境因素）与持续喘息之间的关联对于预防和治疗哮喘至关重要。迄今为止，关于产前暴露的纵向流行病学研究的结果……