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Exercise performance in very low birth weight children at the age of 7-12 years
E Baraldi1, S Zanconato, C Zorzi
1Department of Paediatrics, University of Padua, Italy.
Insights
Children born with very low birth weight (VLBW) demonstrate normal aerobic fitness. However, small for gestational age (SGA) children exhibit slightly reduced running efficiency compared to healthy peers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Exercise Physiology
- Neonatology
Background:
- Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants are at risk for long-term health issues.
- Assessing aerobic fitness and exercise efficiency in VLBW children is crucial for understanding their developmental outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate pulmonary function and aerobic fitness in school-aged children born with VLBW.
- To compare exercise performance between appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) VLBW children and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Pulmonary function tests (spirometry) were conducted.
- Progressive exercise tests on a treadmill assessed aerobic capacity (maximum oxygen consumption, anaerobic threshold).
- Energy cost of running was analyzed in VLBW subgroups and controls.
Main Results:
- All VLBW children had normal pulmonary function and no chronic bronchopulmonary disease.
- Maximum oxygen consumption, anaerobic threshold, and maximal heart rate were comparable across AGA, SGA, and control groups.
- SGA children showed a significantly higher energy cost of running compared to controls; AGA children did not differ.
Conclusions:
- Children born with VLBW (<1501g) generally possess normal aerobic fitness levels.
- SGA children born with VLBW may have a slightly reduced running efficiency, indicating potential subtle metabolic or biomechanical differences.
Abstract:
Fifteen very low birth weight children, 9 appropriate for gestational age (AGA, mean birth weight 1302 +/- 164 g) and 6 small for gestational age children (SGA, mean birth weight 1263 +/- 117 g), were studied at the age of 7-12 years, and compared to a group of 26 healthy, age-, sex-, and height-matched children born at term. None of the VLBW children had developed chronic bronchopulmonary disease. Pulmonary function tests and progressive exercise tests on a treadmill were performed. Forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume at 1 s and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity were normal for all subjects. No differences were found in maximum oxygen consumption, anaerobic threshold and maximal heart rate between the AGA and SGA children and the respective controls. Both in the AGA and SGA subgroups, the pre-exercise oxygen uptake results were comparable to those of the controls. In the SGA subgroup the energy cost of running was significantly higher with respect to the controls, while no difference was found between the AGA and the control children. In conclusion, children with birth weight less than 1501 g have normal values of aerobic fitness. In SGA children the efficiency of running is slightly reduced.