ATOPIC DISEASE IN SEVEN‐YEAR‐OLD CHILDREN Incidence in Relation to Family History

Abstract

The incidence of atopic disease and its relation to the family history was studied by questionnaire in 1325 children, 7 yr of age. A higher incidence of bronchial asthma (2.7%) was found than in a previous Swedish study. The total incidence of atopic disease in the children was 15.1% with a higher level when there was a double parental history of such disease (42.9%) as compared with a single such history (19.8%). When both parents had an identical type of atopic disease, i.e., respiratory or skin, the incidence of atopic disease was higher (72.2%) than when non-identical types occurred in the parents (20.8%). The findings support theories of a polygenic transmission of atopic disease as well as a genetic influence on symptom specificity in such disease and may be of value in genetic counselling.