The Journal of pediatrics
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The Journal of pediatrics · Jan 1987
Pulmonary follow-up of moderately low birth weight infants with and without respiratory distress syndrome.
Pulmonary function was measured in 18 children aged 6 to 9 years who had been born prematurely (mean birth weight 1760 +/- 555 g) and who had each received greater than 100 hours (mean 177 +/- 74 hours) of mechanical ventilation for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). We used as controls 26 children aged 6 to 7 years who had been born prematurely (mean birth weight 1636 +/- 554 g) but who had required no treatment for pulmonary disease. ⋯ However, FEV1 and specific airway conductance were significantly reduced in the premature control group compared with children born at term. Therefore, factors associated with prematurity rather than combined effects of RDS and its treatment determined pulmonary function at age 6 to 9 years.