Grant: Operating Grant

We undertook a multifaceted intervention program during the last trimester of pregnancy and the first twelve months of life in children at high risk for the development of asthma, based on a strong family history. This intervention during a "window of opportunity" in early life had a significant impact in follow-up at 1, 2 and 7 years of age for its ability to decrease asthma. We ask whether this early life intervention will continue to have impact in children in their teenage years. We will assess the progress of asthma in this group of children, measure the degree of airway responsiveness and presence of allergy and evaluate the impact of gender differences over time. We believe that early life and current psychosocial stressors will have impact on the clinical, physiologic, and immune status of these teenagers.