An allergen is the substance that causes an allergic reaction in someone who is hypersensitive to it. A major allergen for asthma is the house dust mite. It is thought that artificial (man-made) fibre fillings for pillows and bedding are less likely to gather allergens than feather-filled pillows and quilts. However, there is some evidence that in fact, feather bedding may in fact be less likely to cause asthma. The review found no trials comparing feathers with man-made fibres, and research is needed to be certain which is better for people with asthma.
Vollständige Zusammenfassung lesen
Two recent epidemiological studies have reported that children using non-feather pillows suffered from more frequent episodes of wheeze than those using feather pillows
Zielsetzungen
To evaluate the efficacy of using feather bedding in the control of asthma symptoms.
Suchstrategie
The Cochrane Airways Group Specialised Register was searched with pre-specified terms. Seaches are current to February 2009.
Auswahlkriterien
Only randomised or controlled clinical trials were to be included.
Datensammlung und ‐analyse
No trials met the inclusion criteria for the review.
Hauptergebnisse
From electronic literature searches a total of 15 studies have been retrieved for scrutiny as full-text papers. However, on review none of them have met the review entry criteria.
Schlussfolgerungen der Autoren
Whilst recent epidemiological studies suggest that feather bedding is associated with less frequent wheeze than man-made fibre fillings, the evidence currently available is insufficient to assess the clinical benefits of feather bedding in the management of asthma.
