From the authors:
We would like to thank E. Brooke and co-workers for their interest in our article [1] and for the interesting study they performed. Their data from the Southampton Womens’ Survey provide further evidence that an impaired neonatal lung function is associated with respiratory symptoms [1, 2]. Also, in their cohort, a lower neonatal compliance of the respiratory system was associated with asthma in childhood [1]. Additionally, they were able to measure the forced expiratory flow in 0.4 s (FEV0.4) by using the raised-volume thoraco-abdominal compression technique. Also, lower FEV0.4 measurements were found to be associated with increased childhood asthma risk [1].
Although longitudinal cohort studies are challenging, they enable us to study repeated observations of the same person at different points in time. Such studies allow us to track the changes of early-life lung function at the individual level in relation to respiratory symptoms in childhood. With longer follow-up, direct study of associations between neonatal lung function and the occurrence of adult respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, will be possible.
Studies performed to date, including the Southampton Women’s Survey, clearly underline the importance of measuring lung function starting at birth. Although these measurements are challenging, new devices have recently became commercially available for noninvasive measurements [3]. These developments can be helpful to further explore the role of neonatal lung function in the development of respiratory diseases in later life.
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: Disclosures can be found alongside the online version of this article at www.erj.ersjournals.com
- Received October 2, 2013.
- Accepted October 3, 2013.
- ©ERS 2014