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Previous Volume 355:1682-1689 October 19, 2006 Number 16 Next

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ABSTRACT

Background Reduced lung function in early infancy has been associated with later obstructive airway diseases. We assessed whether reduced lung function shortly after birth predicts asthma 10 years later.

Methods We conducted a prospective birth cohort study of healthy infants in which we measured lung function shortly after birth with the use of tidal breathing flow-volume loops (the fraction of expiratory time to peak tidal expiratory flow to total expiratory time [t_PTEF/t_E]) in 802 infants and passive respiratory mechanics, including respiratory-system compliance, in 664 infants. At 10 years of age, 616 children (77%) were reassessed by measuring lung function, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (by means of a methacholine challenge) and by conducting a structured interview to determine whether there was a history of asthma or current asthma.

Results As compared with children whose t_PTEF/t_E shortly after birth was above the median, children whose t_PTEF/t_E was at or below the median were more likely at 10 years of age to have a history of asthma (24.3% vs. 16.2%, P=0.01), to have current asthma (14.6% vs. 7.5%, P=0.005), and to have severe bronchial hyperresponsiveness, defined as a methacholine dose of less than 1.0 µmol causing a 20% fall in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) (9.1% vs. 4.9%, P=0.05). As compared with children whose respiratory-system compliance was above the median, children with respiratory compliance at or below the median more often had a history of asthma (27.4% vs. 14.8%; P=0.001) and current asthma (15.0% vs. 7.7%, P=0.009), although this measure was not associated with later measurements of lung function. At 10 years of age, t_PTEF/t_E at birth correlated weakly with the maximal midexpiratory flow rate (r=0.10, P=0.01) but not with FEV₁ or forced vital capacity.

Conclusions Reduced lung function at birth is associated with an increased risk of asthma by 10 years of age.

Source Information

From the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Woman and Child (G.H., K.C.L.C., C.S.D., M.C.M.-K.), and the Center for Clinical Research (L.S.), Ullevål University Hospital; Voksentoppen, Department of Pediatrics, Rikshospitalet–Radiumhospitalet Medical Center (G.H., C.S.D., M.P., K.-H.C.); and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo (K.C.L.C., C.S.D., M.C.M.-K., K.-H.C.) — all in Oslo.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Håland at Voksentoppen, Department of Pediatrics, Rikshospitalet–Radiumhospitalet Medical Center, Ullveien 14, N-0491 Oslo, Norway, or at geir.haland{at}medisin.uio.no.

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