Third trimester fetal lung volume, thoracic circumference, and early infant lung function

Area of Science:

• Perinatal medicine
• Pediatric pulmonology
• Developmental biology

Background:

• Fetal lung development is crucial for postnatal respiratory health.
• Understanding prenatal factors influencing infant lung function is important for early identification of potential issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between third-trimester fetal lung volume (LV), thoracic circumference (TC), and fetal weight with early infant lung function.
• To examine the association of fetal thoracic and weight growth rates with infant lung function at 3 months of age.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study including 257 fetuses.
• Ultrasound measurements of fetal LV, TC, and weight at 30 weeks gestation.
• Calculation of fetal thoracic and weight growth rates.
• Infant lung function assessed via tidal flow-volume measurements at 3 months.

Main Results:

• No significant associations were found between fetal LV, TC, estimated fetal weight, or their growth rates and infant lung function parameters (tPTEF/tE, VT/kg).
• A significant inverse association was observed between fetal weight increase and VT/kg in female infants.
• Stratified analyses by sex revealed this specific association only in girls.

Conclusions:

• Third-trimester fetal lung volume, thoracic size, and growth parameters are generally not associated with infant lung function at 3 months.
• Fetal weight gain may have a sex-specific impact on early infant lung function, warranting further investigation.