Prebirth cohort studies on the relationship between perinatal environmental factors and allergic diseases: from the view point of hygiene hypothesis

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K23135
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0908:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: Tokinobu Akiko 愛媛大学, 医学系研究科, 助教 (10758212)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 小児アレルギー / 環境要因 / 出生前コーホート研究 / 衛生仮説

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigated the association between environmental factors during fetal or infant period and health outcomes of the children, using data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study. We investigated the following three associations during the study period.
(1) Maternal use of induction heating cookers during pregnancy and birth outcomes (preterm birth, Low birth weight, small-for-gestational age, and birth weight), (2) Perinatal maternal hair dye use and risk of wheeze and asthma in 5-year-old children, (3) Bathing or showering frequency during infancy and risk of eczema and atopic dermatitis in 3-year-old children.
We have written and submitted the original articles in each study. As of 6 May 2022, the study (1) is already published, and the remaining two studies are under review.

Free Research Field

疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で調査した3つの環境要因曝露（①妊娠中のIHクッキングヒーターの使用（中間周波電磁界への曝露）、②周産期における母親の染髪の有無（染髪剤への曝露）、③乳児期の入浴頻度）と子の健康アウトカムとの関連についてはいずれも先行研究が少なくエビデンスが十分蓄積されていないため、影響の程度がよく分かっていなかった。我々の研究は、出生前コーホート研究のデータを用いた疫学研究であり、周産期の環境要因曝露とその影響に関する貴重なエビデンスとなり得る。