Early-term birth is a risk factor for wheezing in childhood: A cross-sectional population study.

BACKGROUND: Early term-born (37-38 weeks' gestation) infants have increased respiratory morbidity during the neonatal period compared with full term-born (39-42 weeks' gestation) infants, but longer-term respiratory morbidity remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: We assessed whether early term-born children have greater respiratory symptoms and health care use in childhood compared with full term-born children. METHODS: We surveyed 1- to 10-year-old term-born children (n = 13,361). Questionnaires assessed respiratory outcomes with additional data gathered from national health databases. RESULTS: Of 2,845 eligible participants, 545 were early term-born and 2,300 were full term-born. Early term-born children had higher rates of admission to the neonatal unit (odds ratio [OR], 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.5) and admission to the hospital during their first year of life (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.1). Forty-eight percent of early term-born children less than 5 years old reported wheeze ever compared with 39% of full term-born children (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9), and 26% versus 17% reported recent wheezing (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.4). Early term-born children older than 5 years reported higher rates of wheeze ever (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.05-1.8) and recent wheezing over the last 12 months than full-term control subjects (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.02-2.0). Increased rates of respiratory symptoms in early term-born children persisted when family history of atopy and delivery by means of cesarean sections were included in logistic regression models. CONCLUSION: Early term-born children had significantly increased respiratory morbidity and use of health care services when compared with full term-born children, even when stratified by mode of delivery and family history of atopy.

Physical activity in school-age children born preterm.

OBJECTIVES: To compare objectively measured physical activity in 11- and 15-year-old children who were born preterm with term-born controls and related physical activity measures to lung function measures. STUDY DESIGN: We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. We compared total physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and sedentary behavior between children born at 25-32, 33-34, 35-36, and 37-43 weeks' gestation at ages 11 and 15 years. At age 11 years, physical activity measures were correlated with lung spirometry recorded at age 7-9 years. RESULTS: Valid physical activity data at age 11 years were available for 5025, 197, 57, and 48 children born at 37-43, 35-36, 33-34, and 25-32 weeks' gestation, respectively. At age 15 years, valid physical activity data were available for 1829, 62, 32, and 24 children born at 37-43, 35-36, 33-34, and 25-32 weeks' gestation. Boys were more physically active than girls at both ages. There were no differences in total physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, or sedentary behavior in children between the different gestation groups. Physical activity at age 11 years did not correlate with spirometry measures at age 7-9 years. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity was similar for the different gestational groups and did not correlate with lung spirometry. Physical activity does not appear to be limited in preterm-born children despite lung function deficits noted in childhood.

Higher systolic blood pressure with normal vascular function measurements in preterm-born children.

UNLABELLED: Preterm birth, low birth weight and poor foetal nutrition have been linked to cardiovascular disease, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We explored prematurity and vascular function by studying a UK cohort of 14 049 children and conducting a systematic review. CONCLUSION: Systolic blood pressure was higher in subjects born preterm than term, but there were no differences in endothelial dysfunction or arterial stiffness. The systematic review revealed no clear association between prematurity and vascular function.

Effect of preterm birth on later FEV1: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggests that preterm birth affects later lung function. We systematically reviewed the literature to determine whether percentage predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (%FEV1) is lower in later life in preterm-born subjects, with or without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), compared with term-born controls. METHODS: Studies reporting %FEV1, with or without a term-born control group, in later life for preterm-born subjects (<37 weeks gestation) were extracted from eight databases. Data were analysed using Review Manager and STATA. The quality of the studies was assessed. RESULTS: From 8839 titles, 1124 full articles were screened and 59 were included: 28 studied preterm-born children without BPD, 24 with BPD28 (supplemental oxygen dependency at 28 days), 15 with BPD36 (supplemental oxygen dependency 36 weeks postmenstrual age) and 34 born preterm. For the preterm-born group without BPD and for the BPD28 and BPD36 groups the mean differences (and 95% CIs) for %FEV1 compared with term-born controls were -7.2% (-8.7% to -5.6%), -16.2% (-19.9% to -12.4%) and -18.9% (-21.1% to -16.7%), respectively. Pooling all data on preterm-born subjects whether or not there was a control group gave a pooled %FEV1 estimate of 91.0% (88.8% to 93.1%) for the preterm-born cohort without BPD, 83.7% (80.2% to 87.2%) for BPD28 and 79.1% (76.9% to 81.3%) for BPD36. Interestingly, %FEV1 for BPD28 has improved over the years. CONCLUSIONS: %FEV1 is decreased in preterm-born survivors, even those who do not develop BPD. %FEV1 of survivors of BPD28 has improved over recent years. Long-term respiratory follow-up of preterm-born survivors is required as they may be at risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Respiratory distress of the term newborn infant.

Respiratory distress is recognised as any signs of breathing difficulties in neonates. In the early neonatal period respiratory distress is common, occurring in up to 7% of newborn infants, resulting in significant numbers of term-born infants being admitted to neonatal units. Many risk factors are involved; the increasing number of term infants delivered by elective caesarean section has also increased the incidence. Additionally the risk decreases with each advancing week of gestation. At 37 weeks, the chances are three times greater than at 39-40 weeks gestation. Multiple conditions can present with features of respiratory distress. Common causes in term newborn infants include transient tachypnoea of the newborn, respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, meconium aspiration syndrome, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the neonate and pneumothorax. Early recognition of respiratory distress and initiation of appropriate treatment is important to ensure optimal outcomes. This review will discuss these common causes of respiratory distress in term-born infants.

Efficacy and safety of high flow nasal oxygen for children with bronchiolitis: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To assess the published evidence to establish the efficacy and safety of high flow oxygen cannula (HFNC) as respiratory support for children up to 24 months of age with bronchiolitis within acute hospital settings. METHODS: We searched eight databases up to March 2021. Studies including children up to 24 months of age with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis recruited to an randomised controlled trial were considered in the full meta-analysis. At least one arm of the study must include HFNC as respiratory support and report at least one of the outcomes of interest. Studies were identified and extracted by two reviewers. Data were analysed using Review Manager V.5.4. RESULTS: From 2943 article titles, 308 full articles were screened for inclusion. 23 studies met the inclusion criteria, 15 were included in the metanalyses. Four studies reported on treatment failure rates when comparing HFNC to standard oxygen therapy (SOT). Data suggests HFNC is superior to SOT (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.57). Four studies reported on treatment failure rates when comparing HFNC to continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP). No significant difference was found between CPAP and HFNC (OR 1.64, 95% CI 0.96 to 2.79; p=0.07). Four studies report on adverse outcomes when comparing HFNC to SOT. No significant difference was found between HFNC & SOT (OR 1.47, 95% CI 0.54 to 3.99). CONCLUSION: HFNC is superior to SOT in terms of treatment failure and there is no significant difference between HFNC and CPAP in terms of treatment failure. The results suggest HFNC is safe to use in acute hospital settings.

Management of Prematurity-Associated Wheeze and Its Association with Atopy.

INTRODUCTION: Although preterm birth is associated with respiratory morbidity in childhood, the role of family history of atopy and whether appropriate treatment has been instituted is unclear. Thus we assessed (i) the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, particularly wheezing, in childhood; (ii) evaluated the role of family history of atopy and mode of delivery, and (iii) documented the drug usage, all in preterm-born children compared to term-born control children. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional population-based questionnaire study of 1-10 year-old preterm-born children (n = 13,361) and matched term-born controls (13,361). Data (n = 7,149) was analysed by gestational groups (24-32 weeks, 33-34 weeks, 35-36 weeks and 37-43 weeks) and by age, <5 years old or ≥ 5 years. MAIN RESULTS: Preterm born children aged <5 years (n = 2,111, term n = 1,402) had higher rates of wheeze-ever [odds ratio: 2.7 (95% confidence intervals 2.2, 3.3); 1.8 (1.5, 2.2); 1.5 (1.3, 1.8) respectively for the 24-32 weeks, 33-34 weeks, 35-36 weeks groups compared to term]. Similarly for the ≥5 year age group (n = 2,083, term n = 1,456) wheezing increased with increasing prematurity [odds ratios 3.3 (2.7, 4.1), 1.8 (1.5, 2.3) and 1.6 (1.3, 1.9) for the three preterm groups compared to term]. At both age groups, inhaler usage was greater in the lowest preterm group but prematurity-associated wheeze was independent of a family history of atopy. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing prematurity was associated with increased respiratory symptoms, which were independent of a family history of atopy. Use of bronchodilators was also increased in the preterm groups but its efficacy needs careful evaluation.

Effect of bronchodilators on forced expiratory volume in 1 s in preterm-born participants aged 5 and over: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Preterm-born participants are at risk of long-term deficits in percentage predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (%FEV1). Since it is unclear if these deficits respond to bronchodilators, we systematically reviewed the evidence for reversibility of deficits in %FEV1 by bronchodilators in preterm-born participants. DESIGN: Studies reporting a change in %FEV1 in response to bronchodilator treatment in preterm-born participants at ≥5 years of age, with or without a term-born control group, were identified. The quality of studies was assessed by adapted tools. Due to considerable heterogeneity between studies, formal meta-analysis was not possible. RESULTS: From 8,839 titles, 22 studies were identified after an updated search in May 2013. Twenty-one studies assessed the response to a single inhaled dose of a bronchodilator, and 1 study assessed longer-term effects. Most studies observed decreased %FEV1 in preterm-born participants compared with controls. Most studies observed improved %FEV1 after a single dose of bronchodilator, with the largest improvements noted in those with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, who had greater deficits of %FEV1 when compared with preterm and term controls. One long-term study investigated a 2-week terbutaline administration, but the initial FEV1 after a single dose did not show a change in %FEV1 of ≥15%, but 5/29 (17%) children had an increased %FEV1 of ≥10%. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review, disparate studies were identified. Although single doses of bronchodilators appear to improve the FEV1 in the short term, further studies are required to assess their longer-term benefits not only on airway obstruction, but also their effect on respiratory symptoms.

Effect of preterm birth on exercise capacity: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Survivors of preterm-birth have increased prevalence of respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases in later life however, the overall impact of prematurity on cardiorespiratory exercise capacity is unclear. OBJECTIVE: We, therefore, systematically reviewed the literature on cardiorespiratory exercise capacity in survivors of preterm birth. METHODOLOGY: Relevant studies up to March 2013 were searched using eight electronic health databases. Studies reporting exercise capacity in participants born preterm (<37 weeks) were included. The main outcome of interest was oxygen uptake (V˙O2max⁡) at maximal exercise. Data were categorized into four groups: (i) preterm-born subjects including those with or without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) but excluding study groups biased towards BPD; (ii) preterm-born subjects (BPD excluded); (iii) preterm-born subjects who had BPD28 (defined as oxygen dependency at 28 days of life) in infancy; (iv) preterm born subjects with BPD36 (oxygen dependency at 36 weeks post menstrual age) in infancy. RESULTS: From 9,341 abstracts, 22 included publications reported V˙O2max⁡ in ml/kg/min from 685 preterm and 680 term-born subjects. Overall 20 studies reported results for preterm-born subjects including BPD; 14 studies for the preterm group excluding BPD; 10 studies for the BPD28 group; and 8 studies for BPD36 group. The mean differences (95% CI) for the four groups were -2.20 (-3.70, -0.70) ml/kg/min; -2.26 (-4.44, -0.07 ml/kg/min; -3.04 (-5.48, -0.61) ml/kg/min, and -3.05 (-5.93, -0.18) ml/kg/min, respectively. CONCLUSION: Despite marked deficits in spirometry, preterm-born children have a marginally decreased V˙O2max⁡, which is unlikely to be of great clinical significance. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2015; 50:293-301. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Association between pulmonary ureaplasma colonization and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants: updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous meta-analyses have reported a significant association between pulmonary colonization with Ureaplasma and development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). However, because few studies reporting oxygen dependency at 36 weeks corrected gestation were previously available, we updated the systematic review and meta-analyses to evaluate the association between presence of pulmonary Ureaplasma and development of BPD. METHODS: Five databases were searched for articles reporting the incidence of BPD at 36 weeks postmenstrual age (BPD36) and/or BPD at 28 days of life (BPD28) in Ureaplasma colonized and noncolonized groups. Pooled estimates were produced using random effects meta-analysis. Meta-regression was used to assess the influence of difference in gestational age between the Ureaplasma-positive and Ureaplasma-negative groups. The effects of potential sources of heterogeneity were also investigated. RESULTS: Of 39 studies included, 8 reported BPD36, 22 reported BPD28 and 9 reported both. The quality of studies was assessed as moderate to good. There was a significant association between Ureaplasma and development of BPD36 (odds ratio = 2.22; 95% confidence intervals: 1.42-3.47) and BPD28 (odds ratio = 3.04; 95% confidence intervals: 2.41-3.83). Sample size influenced the odds ratio, but no significant association was noted between BPD28 rates and difference in gestational age between Ureaplasma colonized and noncolonized infants (P = 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary colonization with Ureaplasma continues to be significantly associated with development of BPD in preterm infants at both 36 weeks postmenstrual age and at 28 days of life. This association at BPD28 persists regardless of difference in gestational age.