Incidence of Episodes of Wheezy Bronchitis in Children living near the Iron and Steel Factory from Cãlãrasi

Background: During daily clinical work as a GP in Calarasi, Rumania, a large number of wheezing cases was observed in children living in the vicinity of a large Iron, Steel and Coke factory. In children under 10 years old who are living in this area with heavy industrial pollution, incidence of episodes of wheezing was found to be much higher compared to other regions in Romania. Objective: To investigate the incidence of episodes of wheezing in children. To assess the relation of occurrence of episodes of wheezing with the distance to the factory, smoking habits of the parents, a family history of allergy and the presence of mouldiness in the houses. Methods: Retrospective cohort study including 1500 children under ten years old living in this area. The area was stratified in three zones, according to the distance from the factory gate, each zone having a length of about 1 kilometre. All children were followed during a period of 5 years (1993-1997).