Risk factors in child asthma

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate six risk factors in a population of low economic level. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 40 asthmatic children were studied, 21 masculine and 19 feminine, with a 9.3 years old half age +/- 3.22 years. A group control is included (22 children) without asthma and without allergic symptoms. RESULTS: I intragroup study. In the control group the tobacco atmosphere overcame the prospective frequency (p < 0.05), circumstance that didn't happen to the group of patient. Intragroup studies. There were not significant differences among the parameters studied in both groups, except for the frequency of family antecedents. CONCLUSIONS: The genetic factor is decisive for the initial asthma. The genotypic studies has found the chromosomic locus that regulate their expression. The environmental factors, particularly the tobacco pre and postnatal, they are decisive in the early precipitation of the beginning of the asthma.