title: Lung function and exhaled nitric oxide in healthy unsedated African infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Population-appropriate lung function reference data are essential to accurately identify respiratory disease and measure response to interventions. There are currently no reference data in African infants. The aim was to describe normal lung function in healthy African infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lung function was performed on healthy South African infants enrolled in a birth cohort study, the Drakenstein child health study. Infants were excluded if they were born preterm or had a history of neonatal respiratory distress or prior respiratory tract infection. Measurements, made during natural sleep, included the forced oscillation technique, tidal breathing, exhaled nitric oxide and multiple breath washout measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred sixty-three infants were tested. Acceptable and repeatable measurements were obtained in 356 (98%) and 352 (97%) infants for tidal breathing analysis and exhaled nitric oxide outcomes, 345 (95%) infants for multiple breath washout and 293 of the 333 (88%) infants for the forced oscillation technique. Age, sex and weight-for-age z score were significantly associated with lung function measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides reference data for unsedated infant lung function in African infants and highlights the importance of using population-specific data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.|MRC Unit, Child and Adolescent Lung Health, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.|MRC Unit, Child and Adolescent Lung Health, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Willemse
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.|MRC Unit, Child and Adolescent Lung Health, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Visagie
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Emilee
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.|Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Dorottya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Czövek
authors.affiliation: Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Sly
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.|Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hantos
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Graham L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.|MRC Unit, Child and Adolescent Lung Health, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Heather J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zar
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D045853:Exhalation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D013019:South Africa
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide
keywords: African; infants; lung function; reference data