Weight gain caused by good nutrition may help increase lung capacity and reduce chronic lung problems in premature babies, finds a new study published in the journal Pediatric Pulmonology.
Researchers at the University of Michigan studied 18 premature babies with a serious lung disorder called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). After studying the children for nearly a year, they found that the nine babies who showed the greatest weight gain over time also had the greatest improvement in lung volume.
"Consistent with animal studies that show the harmful effects of malnutrition on lung development, we showed improvements in lung function … in infants with above-average body growth," concluded Dr. Amy G. Filbrun, lead author of the study.
Babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are at an increased risk of BPD, a chronic lung condition that causes a significant reduction in airflow and can lead to asthma later in life. BPD is most often caused by the use of mechanical ventilation within the child’s first two weeks of life, and is indicated by inflammation and scarring in the lungs.