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Published on: August 7, 2017

The relationship between infant lung function and the risk of wheeze in the preschool years

K C Pike1, M J Rose-Zerilli, E Caffrey Osvald

  • 1Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Division, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.

Pediatric Pulmonology
|September 18, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Infant lung function measured in early life can predict wheezing in childhood. Lower lung function in infancy was linked to non-atopic wheeze, but not atopic wheeze, by age three.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Childhood Asthma Research

Background:

  • Childhood wheeze is linked to perinatal lung development.
  • Limited research exists on preschool wheeze and early infant lung function.
  • The relationship between atopic/non-atopic wheeze and early lung development is unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between infant lung function and preschool wheeze.
  • To explore links between atopic/non-atopic wheeze phenotypes and early lung development.

Main Methods:

  • Measured infant lung function in 147 healthy term infants (5-14 weeks old).
  • Utilized rapid thoracoabdominal compression to assess maximal expiratory flow at functional residual capacity (V' max FRC) and forced expiratory volume in 0.4 sec (FEV(0.4)).
  • Determined atopic status via skin prick testing at 3 years and wheeze via parental questionnaires at 1 and 3 years.

Main Results:

  • Lower V' max FRC in infancy correlated with wheeze at 1 and 3 years (P=0.002, P=0.006).
  • Lower FEV(0.4) in infancy was associated with wheeze in the first year (P=0.03).
  • Non-atopic wheeze at 3 years was linked to lower infant FEV(0.4) (P=0.02), unlike atopic wheeze (P=0.4).

Conclusions:

  • Reduced premorbid infant lung function predicts wheezing in the first and third years of life.
  • Lower early infant FEV(0.4) is associated with non-atopic wheeze at age 3, but not atopic wheeze.
Abstract

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