Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 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

Early-life lung function deficits partially explain the link between maternal asthma and bronchiolitis or asthma in

Carla Rebeca Da Silva Sena1,2,3, Adam Collison2, Vanessa E Murphy2,4

  • 1University Children's Hospital Basel UKBB, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland carla.dasilva@ukbb.ch joerg.mattes@newcastle.edu.au urs.frey@ukbb.ch.

BMJ Open Respiratory Research
|May 18, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Maternal asthma in pregnancy increases offspring’s risk for bronchiolitis and childhood asthma. Impaired infant lung function partially mediates this risk, highlighting its role in respiratory outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Maternal asthma during pregnancy is linked to increased risk of infant bronchiolitis and childhood asthma.
  • The underlying mechanisms connecting maternal asthma to offspring respiratory issues are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if impaired postnatal infant lung function independently affects bronchiolitis and childhood asthma risk.
  • To determine if infant lung function mediates the association between maternal asthma and offspring respiratory outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of infant lung function data from two birth cohorts.
  • Assessment of bronchiolitis hospitalization and childhood asthma as primary outcomes.
  • Utilized tidal breathing lung function ratios: MTIF/MTEF and tPTEF/tE.

Main Results:

  • Impaired lung function ratios (MTIF/MTEF, tPTEF/tE) were significantly associated with increased risk of bronchiolitis and childhood asthma.
  • The MTIF/MTEF ratio mediated 11% of the effect of maternal asthma on bronchiolitis risk.
  • MTIF/MTEF and tPTEF/tE ratios mediated 3% of the effect of maternal asthma on childhood asthma.

Conclusions:

  • Postnatal infant lung function is a significant factor associated with subsequent bronchiolitis and childhood asthma.
  • Impaired infant lung function partially mediates the impact of maternal asthma during pregnancy on offspring respiratory health.
Abstract

Keywords:
AsthmaAsthma EpidemiologyPaediatric asthmaRespiratory Function Test

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