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Updated: May 23, 2026

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
05:31

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels

Published on: August 7, 2017

Interaction between asthma and lung function growth in early life

Hans Bisgaard1, Signe M Jensen, Klaus Bønnelykke

  • 1Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood; Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. bisgaard@copsac.com

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
|March 31, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Children who develop asthma by age 7 show early lung function deficits and increased bronchial responsiveness as newborns. This airflow deficit worsens over time, highlighting the importance of prenatal and early postnatal factors in asthma origins and prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Genetics and Epidemiology

Background:

  • The causal relationship between asthma and reduced lung function is not fully understood.
  • Clarifying this directionality is crucial for effective asthma prevention strategies and research into its origins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interplay between lung function development and asthma from birth through age 7.
  • To identify early indicators of asthma development in at-risk infants.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 411 at-risk children (Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood).
  • Spirometry performed on 403 neonates and 317 children at age 7.
  • Asthma diagnosis based on daily diary cards and semi-annual clinic visits.

Main Results:

  • Children diagnosed with asthma by age 7 exhibited significant neonatal airflow deficits (e.g., reduced forced expiratory flow at 50% vital capacity).
  • This lung function deficit progressed significantly by age 7, with approximately 40% of the deficit present at birth.
  • Neonatal bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine was associated with later asthma development.

Conclusions:

  • Neonatal lung function deficits and bronchial hyperresponsiveness predict asthma development by age 7.
  • The observed lung function impairment progresses throughout early childhood.
  • Research and preventive measures for asthma should focus on the prenatal and early postnatal periods.
Abstract

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