TY - JOUR JF - Archives of Disease in Childhood JO - Arch Dis Child DO - 10.1136/adc.83.4.0 VL - 83 IS - 4 AU - HARVEY MARCOVITCH Y1 - 2000/10/01 UR - http://adc.bmj.com/content/83/4/0.abstract N2 - Arch Dis Child 2000 Volume 83 No 4 Focus on the respiratory tract Winter is on its way in the northern hemisphere and with it brings the annual misery of respiratory tract infections. This month we present a mini symposium, with eight papers devoted to children's respiratory illness.The ALSPAC study team (page 307) have looked at the relationship between maternal smoking in pregnancy and reported wheeze in offspring. After controlling for postnatal environmental tobacco smoke and demographic risk factors, the team concludes that mothers who smoke in the third trimester, whether a little or a lot, are more likely to have little wheezers. Future studies will look at whether they become big wheezers.The IMpact trial of a monoclonal antibody prophylaxis against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection claimed a relative risk reduction of 55% in the admission rate of immunised high risk infants.1 Clark and colleagues in Liverpool, UK (page 313), found similar RSV admission rates for small babies in their area. They calculated the potential … ER -