Effect of acute respiratory infections in infancy on pulmonary function test at 3 years of age: a prospective birth cohort study

What is it about?

Chronic respiratory diseases are a significant problem in children and adolescents. Epidemiological studies have shown that many of these diseases have origin in the antenatal period to early childhood when the respiratory system is still developing. Several factors are being increasingly recognized, which can affect the developing respiratory system. Acute respiratory tract infections (ARI) during infancy may affect the normal development of the respiratory system. This prospective birth cohort study was performed to document the effect of ARI during infancy on the developing respiratory system. Infant pulmonary function test (IPFT) can document these changes objectively. For this, a birth cohort was followed at 6-monthly intervals till 3 years of age and whenever the child had an episode of ARI. During each ARI episode, microbiological samples were also taken to document the etiology of ARI. The results of this study have shown that ARI during infancy is associated with impaired pulmonary function at 3 years of age in the form of increased airway resistance, and decreased forced expiratory flow and volume. Although the follow-up period of this study is only 3 years, the findings add to the existing knowledge that ARI during infancy may be associated with chronic respiratory morbidity in childhood.

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