OBJECTIVETo investigate the natural course of allergic rhinitis (AR) in children and to evaluate the effect of following factors including gender, age, family history, environment and infection on AR.

METHODSTwo hundred and forty-eight children aged between 3 and 5 years-old diagnosed as AR by questionnaire and skin prick test were included in this study. These children were selected 3 years ago in Beijing suburb and urban in an epidemiological study by Beijing Children's Hospital. One hundred and eighty-eight children (boy:girl was 112:76) were followed-up and asked to re-answer the questionnaire by telephone. The follow-up rate was 75.8%. Two-time questionnaires were compared. Factors related to AR, including gender, age, residence change, degree of AR, upper respiratory tract infectious history, personal or family allergic disease history, and so on, which related with AR, were analyzed by SPSS 17.0.

RESULTSOne hundred and eighty-eight valid paired questionnaires were acquired. Among this population, 116 cases (boy: girl was 74:42) were still consistent with the diagnosis of AR, which were named as AR continuing, and 72 cases (38.3%) became less serious, which were named as AR controlled. Factors related to AR continuing included residence change [P = 0.017, OR = 0.435, 95% confidence interval (CI) were 0.220 - 0.860], personal eczema history in the last year (P = 0.028, OR = 2.959, 95%CI were 1.124 - 7.792), more than 3 times upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in the last year (P = 0.006, OR = 2.625, 95%CI were 1.317 - 5.234). AR progressed from mild to moderate-severe in 26 children.

CONCLUSIONSAR in children during growth development became remission. Gender and age were not the decisive factors for AR natural course. Residence change from suburb area to city made the incidence of AR low. Personal eczema history and URTI history in the last year related to AR continuing. In children with AR continuing, the severity of AR became serious with age.