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Reduced exercise capacity in children born very preterm

Lucia Jane Smith1, Peter Paul van Asperen, Karen Olwyn McKay

  • 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. m_gsmith@optusnet.com.au

Pediatrics
|August 5, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Children born very preterm show significantly reduced exercise capacity by age 10, despite mild lung function abnormalities. Further research is needed to understand and potentially improve this exercise limitation in survivors.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Neonatal Follow-up
  • Exercise Physiology

Background:

  • Increased survival rates for very preterm infants necessitate understanding long-term health outcomes.
  • Limited data exists on the respiratory and fitness status of school-aged children born very preterm.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess 10-year lung function and fitness in children born weighing <1000 g and before 32 weeks' gestation.
  • To compare outcomes with term-born controls.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 126 very preterm children (mean age 10 years) and 34 term-born controls.
  • Comprehensive lung function tests (spirometry, lung volumes, gas exchange) and fitness assessments (6-minute walk, 20-m shuttle run).

Main Results:

  • Very preterm children exhibited significantly lower spirometric values than controls.
  • Higher lung volumes and transfer factor values were observed in the preterm group compared to controls.
  • Exercise capacity was approximately halved in the preterm group, with no difference in 6-minute walk distance.

Conclusions:

  • School-aged children born very preterm demonstrate significant exercise capacity impairment.
  • This impairment occurs despite mild small-airway obstruction and gas trapping.
  • Further investigation is needed to determine the cause of exercise limitation and potential interventions.
Abstract

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