Chest
Clinical InvestigationsAsthmaComparison of Lung Function in Infants Exposed to Maternal Smoking and in Infants With a Family History of Asthma
Section snippets
Patient Population and Methods
One hundred five otherwise healthy infants (ages, 4 to 18 months old) included in this cross-sectional study were referred to Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine at Kosair Children's Hospital (Louisville, KY) between January 1994 and June 1997 for evaluation of daily wheezing. Inclusion criteria were either a history of both prenatal and postnatal exposure to maternal smoking or a family history of asthma in a sibling or a parent. A family history of asthma was considered positive if a physician
Results
In infants exposed to maternal smoking, the onset of respiratory symptoms was at the mean (± SD) age of 3.37 ± 3.08 months, and the mean duration of symptoms was 8.82 ± 6.52 months. The infant pulmonary function tests (IPFTs) were performed at a mean age of 12.22 ± 6.47 months. In infants with a family history of asthma, the onset of respiratory symptoms was at the mean age of 3.50 ± 2.70 months, the mean duration of symptoms was 5.81 ± 3.80 months, and IPFTs were performed at a mean age of
Discussion
In infants exposed to prenatal and postnatal cigarette smoking, studies evaluating different variables of infant lung function have determined that these infants have altered lung function.115161718192021 The data suggest that these limitations in lung function may be secondary to smaller lung size, and less maturity of lungs may be secondary to in utero lung growth retardation because of persistent exposure of the lungs to nicotine.363738 One study has also shown increased bronchial
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2018, Chronic Diseases and Translational MedicineFetal nicotine exposure increases airway responsiveness and alters airway wall composition in young lambs
2011, Respiratory Physiology and NeurobiologyCitation Excerpt :Increased airway responsiveness early in life can be a predisposing factor for reduced lung function and development of wheezing problems and asthma later in life (Turner et al., 2002; Stocks and Dezateux, 2003). It has been proposed that this predisposition may be a result of the complex interaction between genetic susceptibility and fetal as well as early neonatal exposure to environmental factors such as tobacco smoke (Sheikh et al., 1999; Jaakkola and Gissler, 2004; Tepper et al., 2005; Turner et al., 2005; Goksor et al., 2007). Elliot et al. (2001) have shown that 3-week-old guinea pigs exposed to tobacco smoke before birth have increased airway responsiveness associated with decreased alveolar attachment points.
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This study was presented in part at the 1998 American Thoracic Society meeting in Chicago, IL.
No funding from outside sources was used or solicited for the work in this paper