title: Effect of early-term birth on respiratory symptoms and lung function in childhood and adolescence.
abstract: Early-term-born subjects, (37-38 weeks' gestation), form a large part of the population and have an increased risk of neonatal respiratory morbidity and childhood respiratory symptoms; there is a paucity of data on their later lung function. We sought to (1) compare lung function at 8-9 and 14-17 years in early-term-born children with full-term-born children (39-43 weeks' gestation); (2) assess the role of caesarean section delivery; and (3) compare respiratory symptoms and diagnosis of asthma.
  
  
  
  Caucasian, singleton, term births from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n = 14,062) who had lung spirometry at 8-9 (n = 5,465) and/or 14-17 (n = 3,666) years were classified as early or full term.
  
  
  
  At 8-9 years, standardized spirometry measures, although within the normal range, were lower in the early-term-born group, (n = 911), compared to full-term controls (n = 4,554). Delivery by caesarean section did not influence later spirometry, and the effect of early-term birth was not modified by delivery by caesarean section. At 14-17 years, the spirometry measures in the early-term group, (n = 602), were similar to the full-term group (3,064), and the rates of asthma and respiratory symptoms were also similar between the two gestation groups.
  
  
  
  Early-term-born children had lower lung function values at 8-9 years compared to the full-term group, but were similar by 14-17 years of age. Delivery at early term should be avoided due to early and late morbidity. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016;51:1212-1221. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kotecha
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: William John
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.affiliation: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A John
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom. KotechaS@cardiff.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Sailesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kotecha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002585:Cesarean Section; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013147:Spirometry
keywords: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC); asthma; cohort study; lung physiology; pulmonary function tests