Parental, Gestational, and Early-life Exposure to Indoor Environmental Hazardous Facto Rs on Allergic Rhinitis Among Preschool Children in Urumqi City: A Case-control Study

Background: Allergic rhinitis is a disease associated with impaired quality of life and heredity. This study aimed to investigate the association of allergic rhinitis (AR) in preschool children with exposure to indoor environment-related factors early in life. MethodsIn August 2019, we implemented a study among 2020 preschool children in Urumqi City using a case-control design. The study included parental reports for the occurrence of AR in children, parental history of respiratory disease, and indoor environmental correlates of maternal exposure from 1 year prior to pregnancy until the child's age of 0-1 years.ResultsMode of birth (caesarean section) ( OR =1.31, 95% CI =1.02~1.67), father with AR ( OR =2.67, 95% CI =2.08~3.44), mother with AR ( OR =3.70, 95% CI =2.88~4.74), mother with asthma ( OR =3.11, 95% CI =1.18~8.20), and mother with newly purchased furniture in the parents' residence during pregnancy ( OR =1.49, 95% CI =1.03~2.14) were risk factors for AR in children. ConclusionsThe focus of allergic rhinitis should should be on children with a family history of AR and asthma and caesarean delivery. Primary prevention efforts for AR in preschool children are avoiding exposure of children to indoor environmental hazardous factors early in life.