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Respiratory impedance in healthy unsedated S outh A frican infants: Effects of maternal smoking
Abstract Background and objective Non‐invasive techniques for measuring lung mechanics in infants are needed for a better understanding of lung growth and function, and to study the effects of prenatal factors on subsequent lung growth in healthy infants. The forced oscillation technique requires mi...
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| Published in: | Respirology (Carlton, Vic.) Vic.), 2015-04, Vol.20 (3), p.467-473 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Abstract
Background and objective
Non‐invasive techniques for measuring lung mechanics in infants are needed for a better understanding of lung growth and function, and to study the effects of prenatal factors on subsequent lung growth in healthy infants. The forced oscillation technique requires minimal cooperation from the individual but has rarely been used in infants. The study aims to assess the use of the forced oscillation technique to measure the influence of antenatal exposures on respiratory mechanics in unsedated infants enrolled in a birth cohort study in
C
ape
T
own,
S
outh
A
frica.
Methods
Healthy term infants were studied at 6–10 weeks of age using the forced oscillation technique. Respiratory impedance was measured in the frequency range 8–48 Hz via a face mask during natural sleep. Respiratory system resistance, compliance and inertance were calculated from the impedance spectra.
Results
Of 177 infants tested, successful measurements were obtained in 164 (93%). Median (25–75%) values for resistance, compliance and inertance were 50.2 (39.5–60.6) cm
H
2
O
.s.L
−1
, 0.78 (0.61–0.99) mL.cm
H
2
O
−1
and 0.062 (0.050–0.086) cm
H
2
O
.s
2
.L
−1
, respectively. As a group, male infants had 16% higher resistance (
P
= 0.006) and 18% lower compliance (
P
= 0.02) than females. Infants whose mothers smoked during pregnancy had a 19% lower compliance than infants not exposed to tobacco smoke during pregnancy (
P
= 0.005). Neither maternal
HIV
infection nor ethnicity had a significant effect on respiratory mechanics.
Conclusions
The forced oscillation technique is sensitive enough to demonstrate the effects of tobacco smoke exposure and sex in respiratory mechanics in healthy infants. This technique will facilitate assessing perinatal influences of lung function in infancy.
Knowledge of the impact of prenatal exposures (such as maternal smoking) on infant lung function has been limited by difficulties with measuring lung function in healthy infants. This study uses a non‐invasive method for the measurement of respiratory system impedance at a high success rate in a healthy infant cohort. |
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| ISSN: | 1323-7799 1440-1843 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/resp.12463 |