Breathing: premature babies are prone to asthma

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MunichInfants who are born too early have more problems with breathing in the long term. A recent meta-study revealed that this is particularly true when it comes to asthma and breath sounds.

For their research, Aziz Sheikh from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and his British and Dutch teammates analyzed 30 studies that looked at the lung health of premature babies. In total, data from 1.5 million children were included in the meta-study.

The result: asthma or breathing noises occurred in 13.7 percent of the premature babies. In comparison, only 8.3 percent of infants suffered from respiratory diseases if they were born on time. The following applies: In very early premature babies (before the 32nd week of pregnancy) the probability of respiratory problems was particularly high.

Worldwide 11 percent premature babies

Premature births are children who are born before the 37th week of pregnancy or with a birth weight of less than 2500 grams. Premature births are as common today as they used to be, but thanks to medical advances, the chances of survival are much higher these days.

Worldwide, more than 11 percent of babies are born before their time, according to Skeikh. It can be assumed that the survival rate will increase in the future. "Precisely because asthma is a chronic disease, our results emphasize the need to better understand the mechanisms between premature birth and its development," explains the researcher. Only in this way will it be possible in the future to develop appropriate prevention and treatment. (lh)

Source: J.V. Been et al. Preterm Birth and Childhood Wheezing Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis; PLoS Med. 2014 Jan 28; 11: e1001596

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