This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Online Supplement All Versions of this Article: 200311-1583OCv1 170/5/534    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lucas, J. S. Articles by Clough, J. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lucas, J. S. Articles by Clough, J. B.

Small Size at Birth and Greater Postnatal Weight Gain

Relationships to Diminished Infant Lung Function

Allergy and Inflammation Sciences Division, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital; and MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Keith M. Godfrey, B.M., Ph.D., MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK. E-mail: kmg{at}mrc.soton.ac.uk

Recent evidence suggests that impaired lung development is linked with diminished lung function and an increased risk of chronic obstructive airway disease in adulthood. To examine environmental influences on early lung development, we measured lung function in 131 normal-term infants aged 5–14 weeks. Adjusting for age at measurement, FEV at 0.4 seconds fell by 4.4% for each standard deviation decrease in birth weight (p = 0.047); when adjusted for FVC, FEV at 0.4 seconds was not related to birth weight but fell by 3.2% per standard deviation increase in infant weight gain (p = 0.001). Age- and sex-adjusted total respiratory system compliance fell by 7.0% per standard deviation decrease in birth weight (p < 0.001) but was not related to infant weight gain. In univariate analyses, age-adjusted forced expiratory flow at functional residual capacity was not related to birth weight, but decreased by 11.0% per standard deviation increase in infant weight gain (p = 0.007). The respiratory rate rose by 5.1% per standard deviation increase in infant weight gain (p = 0.001). Lung function measurements were not related to infant feeding. The observations suggest that lower rates of fetal growth and higher rates of early infancy weight gain are associated with impaired lung development.

Key Words: infant • FEV • forced expiratory flow rates • lung function • weight gain

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R J Hancox, R Poulton, J M Greene, C R McLachlan, M S Pearce, and M R Sears Associations between birth weight, early childhood weight gain and adult lung function Thorax, March 1, 2009; 64(3): 228 - 232. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S Turner, G Zhang, S Young, M Cox, J Goldblatt, L Landau, and P Le Souef Associations between postnatal weight gain, change in postnatal pulmonary function, formula feeding and early asthma Thorax, March 1, 2008; 63(3): 234 - 239. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Canoy, J. Pekkanen, P. Elliott, A. Pouta, J. Laitinen, A.-L. Hartikainen, P. Zitting, S. Patel, M. P Little, and M.-R. Jarvelin Early growth and adult respiratory function in men and women followed from the fetal period to adulthood Thorax, May 1, 2007; 62(5): 396 - 402. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Respiratory Arch. Dis. Child., April 1, 2007; 92(suppl_1): A16 - A19. [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Friedrich, R. T. Stein, P. M. C. Pitrez, A. L. Corso, and M. H. Jones Reduced Lung Function in Healthy Preterm Infants in the First Months of Life Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., February 15, 2006; 173(4): 442 - 447. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. M Inskip, K. M Godfrey, S. M Robinson, C. M Law, D. J. Barker, C. Cooper, and and the SWS Study Group Cohort profile: The Southampton Women's Survey Int. J. Epidemiol., February 1, 2006; 35(1): 42 - 48. [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Tino Clinical Year in Review III: Sleep-disordered Breathing, Interstitial Lung Disease, Lung Transplantation, and Pediatric Pulmonary Disease Proceedings of the ATS, November 1, 2005; 2(4): 251 - 254. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Bush, F. Accurso, W. MacNee, S. C. Lazarus, and E. Abraham Cystic Fibrosis, Pediatrics, Control of Breathing, Pulmonary Physiology and Anatomy, and Surfactant Biology in AJRCCM in 2004 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., March 15, 2005; 171(6): 545 - 553. [Full Text] [PDF]