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Radiographic thoracic area in newborn infants with Down's syndrome

Theodore Dassios1,2, Allan Jenkinson1, Christopher Harris3

  • 1Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.

Journal of Perinatal Medicine
|April 18, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Infants with Down syndrome (DS) have smaller chest areas at birth. This reduced chest radiographic thoracic area (CRTA) in DS newborns was not linked to longer breathing support or oxygen needs.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatalogy
  • Pediatric Radiology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Infants with Down syndrome (DS) are at risk for lung hypoplasia.
  • Understanding thoracic development in DS is crucial for predicting respiratory outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare chest radiographic thoracic area (CRTA) on day one of life between infants with DS and healthy term controls.
  • To investigate the relationship between CRTA and the duration of ventilation and oxygen therapy in infants with DS.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of infants with DS and matched term controls born between 2012-2023.
  • Analysis of chest radiographs on day one to determine CRTA.
  • Comparison of CRTA between groups and correlation with clinical ventilation and oxygen data.

Main Results:

  • Infants with DS (n=40) had significantly lower median CRTA (1,922 mm²) compared to controls (n=80, 2,495 mm²; p<0.001).
  • CRTA in DS infants was not associated with longer invasive ventilation, increased supplemental oxygen requirement, or presence of congenital heart disease/gastrointestinal atresia.

Conclusions:

  • Newborn infants with Down syndrome exhibit reduced chest radiographic thoracic area compared to healthy term infants.
  • This smaller thoracic size in DS newborns is not correlated with clinical indicators of lung disease severity or prolonged respiratory support.
Abstract

Keywords:
Trisomy 21chest X-raylung hypoplasia

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