title: Respiratory function in infancy following pleuro-amniotic shunting.
abstract: Respiratory status was assessed at a median of 12 (range 3-60) months in 17 infants who had undergone pleuro-amniotic shunting to drain fetal pleural effusions. The shunts had been inserted at a median of 29 weeks (range 21-35) gestation; 12 fetuses were hydropic at the time of shunting. In all 17 cases effective chronic drainage of the pleural effusions was achieved. Respiratory status at follow-up was assessed by documentation of respiratory symptoms and measurement of functional residual capacity (FRC) by a helium gas dilution technique. Six infants suffered from recurrent respiratory symptoms, this incidence (37%) did not differ significantly from that found in a control group. The mean FRC of the study population was 28 ml/kg (range 19-34 ml/kg), only 2 infants' FRCs were below the reference range. These results suggest that pleuro-amniotic shunting may, be effective drainage of pleural effusion and hence prevention of chronic antenatal intrathoracic compression, avoid impairment of antenatal lung growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, King's College Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Greenough
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nicolaides
mesh_terms: D000650:Amnion / Q000601:surgery*; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004322:Drainage; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D005652:Functional Residual Capacity; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010994:Pleura / Q000601:surgery*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000503:physiopathology*