Infant sleeping environment and asthma at 7 years: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: We investigated the role of infant bedding items, as part of a composite bedding environment, in the development of childhood wheezing.

Methods: This prospective cohort investigation involved 863 children who participated in an infant survey in 1988 and an asthma study in Tasmania, Australia, in 1995. The derived 3 composite infant bedding categories corresponded to increasing numbers of house dust mite (HDM)-rich bedding items used.