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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2025

Author Spotlight: Unraveling the Impact of Mechanical Ventilation on Diaphragm Function and Patient Outcomes

Author Spotlight: Unraveling the Impact of Mechanical Ventilation on Diaphragm Function and Patient Outcomes

Published on: November 3, 2023

Diaphragmatic muscle function in term and preterm infants.

Sotirios Fouzas¹, Aggeliki Vervenioti¹, Asimina Tsintoni¹

¹Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Patras School of Medicine, Rio, Patras, 26500, Greece.

European Journal of Pediatrics

|October 13, 2023

Summary

Preterm infants exhibit reduced diaphragmatic strength and endurance, increasing fatigue risk. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) can further impair diaphragmatic function in very preterm infants.

Keywords:

Diaphragm Diaphragmatic function Infants Prematurity

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Last Updated: Jul 13, 2025

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Functional and Morphological Assessment of Diaphragm Innervation by Phrenic Motor Neurons

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Published on: May 25, 2015

Area of Science:

Neonatal Physiology
Respiratory Medicine
Pediatric Pulmonology

Background:

The diaphragm's capacity to manage the work of breathing is limited in preterm infants.
Key measures of diaphragmatic function, maximum transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdimax) and pressure-time index (PTIdi), are not well-studied in infants.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine factors influencing diaphragmatic function in term and preterm infants.
To compare diaphragmatic strength and endurance between term and preterm infants, with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

Main Methods:

Assessed diaphragmatic function using Pdimax (strength) and PTIdi (load-to-capacity ratio) in 149 infants (56 term, 93 preterm).
Compared measurements between term and preterm infants, and between preterm infants with and without BPD.
Analyzed gestational age (GA) and duration of ventilation/oxygen support as predictors.

Main Results:

Term infants had higher Pdimax and lower PTIdi than preterm infants without BPD.
In infants without BPD, GA was the primary predictor of Pdimax and PTIdi.
In very preterm infants (GA < 32 weeks), those with BPD showed significantly lower Pdimax and higher PTIdi compared to those without BPD.

Conclusions:

Preterm infants have diminished diaphragmatic strength and endurance, predisposing them to fatigue.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) may exacerbate impaired diaphragmatic function in very preterm infants.