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Birth weight, childhood lower respiratory tract infection, andadult lung function |
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| Authors: | S Shaheen J Sterne J Tucker C Florey |
| Affiliation: | Department of Public Health Medicine, United Medical and Dental School, London, UK. |
| Abstract: | BACKGROUND—Historicalcohort studies in England have found that impaired fetal growth andlower respiratory tract infections in early childhood are associatedwith lower levels of lung function in late adult life. These relationsare investigated in a similar study in Scotland. METHODS—In 1985-86 afollow up study was carried out of 1070 children who had been born inSt Andrew's from 1921 to 1935 and followed from birth to 14 years ofage by the Mackenzie Institute for Medical Research. Recordedinformation included birth weight and respiratory illnesses. The lungfunction of 239 of these individuals was measured. RESULTS—There was noassociation between birth weight and lung function. Pneumonia beforetwo years of age was associated with a difference in mean forcedexpiratory volume in one second (FEV1) of −0.39 litres(95% confidence interval (CI) −0.67,−0.11; p = 0.007) and in mean forced vitalcapacity (FVC) of −0.60 litres (95% CI −0.92, −0.28; p<0.001),after controlling for age, sex, height, smoking, type of spirometer,and other illnesses before two years. Similar reductions were seen inmen and women. Bronchitis before two years was associated with smallerdeficits in FEV1 and FVC. Asthma or wheeze at two years andolder and cough after five years were also associated with a reductionin FEV1. CONCLUSIONS—Therelation between impaired fetal growth and lower lung function in lateadult life seen in previous studies was not confirmed in this cohort.The deficits in FEV1 and FVC associated with pneumonia andbronchitis in the first two years of life are consistent with a causal relation. |
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