Left-handedness in asthmatic children

Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2003 Jun;14(3):234-7. doi: 10.1034/j.1399-3038.2003.00013.x.

Abstract

Left-handedness has been associated with asthma and allergic disorders. The Geschwind-Behan-Galaburda (GBG) hypothesis could explain this association. In view of previous findings, we investigated the distribution of laterality scores among asthmatic children and controls aged 4-8 years old. Seventy families with asthmatic children were administered the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and the Edinburgh Left-handedness Inventory. A sample of 70 families with non-asthmatic, healthy children was used as controls. The majority of children had mild asthma. Ambidexterity was the main feature in the asthmatic children. A statistically significant difference in the laterality quotient (LQ) distribution was found in the group of asthmatic children with allergic rhinitis (LQ mean value in the asthmatic children with allergic rhinitis: 42.85 vs. 79.50 in the rest of the asthmatic children). These results suggest that there is a tendency towards left-handedness in asthmatic children and lend support to the GBG hypothesis.

MeSH terms

  • Asthma*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Functional Laterality*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial
  • Surveys and Questionnaires