Factors Leading to Chronic Respiratory Disease in Children
Chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma, affect about one in ten children worldwide. While there are several well-known risk factors for these conditions, including genetic predisposition, passive smoking, high levels of air pollution, and infections, it is the interaction of these factors that ultimately increases the likelihood of developing asthma.
Researchers, led by Professor Urs Frey from the University of Basel and the University Children’s Hospital Basel, have been investigating how these risk factors interact during the crucial first year of life and impact the development of children’s respiratory systems. Their study, based on health data from two cohorts of around 780 healthy infants born in various European countries, sheds new light on how chronic illnesses like asthma may be predicted and potentially prevented. The findings of their research have been published in the prestigious journal, The Lancet Digital Health.
A Novel Approach to Understanding Chronic Illness
Frey and his team, including Dr. Uri Nahum and international colleagues, took a unique approach to studying chronic respiratory diseases by analyzing the dynamic development of symptoms and risk factors over time. By calculating the network of interactions between various known risk factors for every week of a child’s life, they were able to observe how these factors influence the appearance of symptoms like coughing and wheezing.
“This study represents a new way of looking at chronic illnesses,” explains Frey. “By observing how the developing lungs adapt to their environment, we can gain valuable insights into the development of conditions like asthma.” The researchers found that the adaptation of the lungs during the first year of life was a key determinant in differentiating children who developed asthma at a later age from those who did not.
The Value of Digital Health Data
What sets this study apart is the use of digital health data and dynamic network analyses to quantify and understand the complex interactions between risk factors and symptoms. While the findings may not yet be applicable for early diagnosis in individual children, Frey believes that with more data and advancements in machine learning, it may be possible to develop personalized risk profiles for children in the future.
“With the increasing availability of digital health data, collected through smartphone apps and other devices, we have the potential to revolutionize the way we approach chronic respiratory diseases in children,” says Frey. The collaboration with researchers from various institutions, including the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland and the Inselspital Bern, as well as European partner institutions involved in the cohort studies, highlights the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation in advancing our understanding of these complex conditions.
In conclusion, the study led by Professor Urs Frey and his team provides valuable insights into the factors leading to chronic respiratory diseases in children, particularly asthma. By focusing on the dynamic development of symptoms and risk factors during the first year of life, researchers have gained a deeper understanding of how these conditions may be predicted and potentially prevented in the future. As we continue to gather more data and improve our analytical tools, the possibilities for personalized approaches to managing chronic respiratory diseases are endless.
