Fall Babies More Prone to Develop Asthma

I'm an October baby with asthma and my son is a November baby with asthma. So, I've been reading about this recent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine with some interest. Researchers studied nearly 100,000 babies and found that those born in the fall months are more likely to get asthma. They attribute this increase in part to genetic factors (most folks with asthma know they are likely to pass it on, especially if both parents have it) and also in part to these babies being exposed to respiratory viruses that peak in the winter months. The increased risk to fall babies is almost 30 percent.

But, what does it all mean, if anything?

On ABC News, they began their coverage of the study with this line:

"Parents who are concerned about having a child with asthma may want to consider which month they conceive, a new study suggests."

Yes. I think that's where my mind first wandered as I was reading about the study. I thought, "Well, what are parents supposed to do? Avoid sex or use birth control during the months of December and January?" I mean, yes, asthma is a serious disease on the rise, asthma-related deaths are also on the rise and nobody wants to burden their child with disease, right? But... umm... Seriously? Also, keep in mind that the 4-month "fall" window is different from year to year. Maybe sexually active folks should get a memo each year outlining optimal times for intercourse? That would be rich. Sort of like a bona fide mating season.

WebMD has a bit more of a clinical leaning response, of course, in suggesting that this means more should be done to protect fall babies from the winter bugs that make the rounds.

"Even armed with the new findings, preventing the infant respiratory infections that lead to childhood asthma is no easy task. It is hard to shield babies from such infections. About 70% of babies develop RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) during the first year of life.

However, the researchers argue that there may be a need for prevention strategies, such as vaccines, for babies at high risk for asthma."

And to ABC's credit, a couple of pages later they say that "most experts urged that making such a recommendation to asthma patients trying to conceive based on this study alone would be extremely unwise before more studies can confirm these findings."

So, what do you think? If more conclusive information comes to light, would you try to plan your pregnancy to avoid giving birth in the fall months?

Asthma Resources:

• Does Your Child Have Asthma?
• Grunting and Sighing While Breathing: Could It Be Asthma?
• Asthma Attack Symptoms
• Asthma Triggers