Assessment of Lung Structure and Function of Infants Born Prematurely

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the growth of the lung and how easily gas can be taken up by the lung in healthy infants born at full term without any breathing problems and infants born prematurely.

Detailed Description
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SPECIFIC AIM #1: Determine the relationship between parenchymal tissue and alveolar volume with normal lung growth early in life. We hypothesize that during the first two years of life that parenchymal surface area and alveolar volume increase with somatic growth; however, the ratio of surface area to volume remains constant, while ventilation within the lung becomes more homogenous. SPECIFIC AIM #2: Determine the pulmonary sequelae of premature birth and assess the effectiveness of early treatment strategies upon the pulmonary sequelae. We hypothesize that premature birth impedes growth and development of the lung parenchyma and the airways. In addition, initiating continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and a permissive ventilatory strategy in very premature infants at birth will improve lung growth and lung function compared to treatment with early surfactant and conventional ventilation.

Official Title
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Assessment of Lung Structure and Function of Infants Born Prematurely

Conditions
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Premature Birth, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Asthma

Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Group 1: 37 weeks or greater gestational age Age 2 to 36 months Group 2: 37 weeks or greater gestational age having a CT scan for non-respiratory issues. Age 2-36 months Group 3: 23-35 weeks gestational age Exclusion Criteria: Group 1 and Group 2: Congenital cardio-respiratory disease Hospitalization for respiratory illness Treatment with asthma medications Small for gestational age at birth Group 3: Congenital cardio-respiratory disease Severe developmental delay

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 2 Months
Maximum Age: 36 Months

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| 1-Healthy Infants<br>Group 1: The investigators will recruit 80 healthy infants born at > 37 weeks gestation, and between 2 and 36 months of age. Infants will be excluded for any of the following reasons: Congenital cardio-respiratory disease Hospitalization for respiratory illness Treatment with asthma medications Small for gestational age at birth | |
| 2-Healthy Infants computerized Tomography<br>Group 2: The investigators recruited 4 infants born at > 37 weeks gestation and they were evaluated between 2 and 36 months of age when scheduled for high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) imaging for non-respiratory medical problems. Subjects were enrolled and HRCT of the chest were obtained. Infants were excluded for the following reasons: Congenital cardio-respiratory disease Hospitalization for respiratory illness Treatment with asthma medications | |
| 3-Premature Infants<br>Group 3: The investigators have recruited 45 infants born prematurely at 23-35 weeks gestation. Subjects were evaluated at corrected age at between 2 and 24 months. The subjects had no oxygen requirements, and were clinically stable outpatients when evaluated. Infants were excluded for any of the following reasons: Congenital cardio-respiratory disease Severe developmental delay | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pulmonary Function Testing | Forced expiratory Flows, Single-breath diffusion capacity and alveolar volume | day of testing | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Infant, Premature, Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, asthma