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Very prematurely born infants wheezing at follow-up: lung function and risk factors

Simon Broughton1, Mark R Thomas, Louise Marston

  • 1MRC-Asthma Centre, Division of Asthma, Allergy and Lung Biology, King's College London, London, UK.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|August 24, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Wheezing in very premature infants is linked to lung function abnormalities, specifically gas trapping and small airway issues. Key risk factors include lower gestational age and family history of atopy.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Respiratory Physiology

Background:

  • Infants born very prematurely often experience respiratory complications.
  • Wheeze is a common symptom in this population, but its underlying physiological basis is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between lung volume and airway function abnormalities and wheeze in very prematurely born infants.
  • To identify specific risk factors contributing to wheeze development in this cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Lung function was assessed at 1 year of age in 111 infants with a mean gestational age of 26.3 weeks.
  • Measurements included functional residual capacity (FRC), airways resistance (Raw), and tidal breathing parameters.
  • Wheeze was documented using diary cards and respiratory questionnaires.

Main Results:

  • Infants experiencing wheeze showed significantly lower functional residual capacity (FRC(He)), reduced FRC(He):FRC(pleth) ratio, and altered tidal breathing (T(PTEF):T(E)).
  • Higher airways resistance (Raw) was also observed in wheezing infants.
  • Regression analysis identified gestational age, infant length, family history of atopy, and low FRC(He):FRC(pleth) as significant risk factors for wheeze.

Conclusions:

  • Wheeze in very prematurely born infants is associated with impaired gas exchange, indicative of gas trapping.
  • These findings suggest underlying abnormalities in the small airways contribute to wheezing in this vulnerable population.
Abstract

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