PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - O. Fuchs
AU  - P. Latzin
AU  - C. Thamrin
AU  - G. Stern
AU  - P. Frischknecht
AU  - F. Singer
AU  - E. Kieninger
AU  - E. Proietti
AU  - T. Riedel
AU  - U. Frey
TI  - Normative data for lung function and exhaled nitric oxide in unsedated healthy infants
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.00125510
DP  - 2010 Jan 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - erj01255-2010
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2010/11/25/09031936.00125510.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2010/11/25/09031936.00125510.full
AB  - Despite association with lung growth and long-term respiratory morbidity, there is a lack of normative lung function data for unsedated infants conforming to latest ERS/ATS standards.Lung function was measured using an ultrasonic flowmeter in N=342 unsedated, healthy, term-born infants at a mean±SD age of 5.1±0.8 weeks during natural sleep according to latest standards. Tidal breathing flow-volume loops (TBFVL) and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) measurements were obtained from 100 regular breaths. We aimed for three acceptable measurements for multiple-breath washout and five to ten acceptable interruptions for resistance (Rint) measurements.Acceptable measurements were obtained in up to 285 infants with high variability. Mean (95% limits of agreement) values were 7.48 (4.95–10.0) mL·kg−1 for tidal volume, 14.3 (2.6–26.1) ppb for eNO, 23.9 (16.0–31.8) mL·kg−1 for functional residual capacity, 6.75 (5.63–7.87) for lung clearance index, and 3.78 (1.14–6.42) kPa·s·L−1 for Rint. In boys, TBFVL outcomes were associated with anthropometric parameters, in girls with maternal smoking during pregnancy, maternal asthma, and caesarean section.This large normative data set in unsedated infants offers reference values for future research and particularly for studies where sedation may put infants at risk. It furthermore highlights the impact of maternal and environmental risk factors on neonatal lung function.