Effect of acute respiratory infections in infancy on pulmonary function test at 3 years of age: a prospective birth cohort study

Kumar, Prawin; Mukherjee, Aparna; Randev, Shivani; Medigeshi, Guruprasad R; Jat, Kana Ram; Kapil, Arti; Lodha, Rakesh; Kabra, Sushil Kumar

infancy or early childhood. 4 10 12 13 17 28 29 The measurement technique for PFT in these studies are heterogeneous with usage of different techniques, such as RTC, RVRTC, body plethysmography, impulse oscillometry, helium dilution and single breath occlusion. 7 9 11 30 In our study, we have attempted to evaluate the association between ARI of any aetiology in infancy with pulmonary function at 3 years of age using IPFT manoeuvres of TBFVL, RTC, RVRTC in a cohort of Indian children. At baseline, there were no significant differences in RVRTC and RTC indices between children who had and did not have ARI episodes during infancy; rather some of the TBFVL indices are lower in children who did not have any ARI episode during infancy. In this cohort, we could demonstrate that forced expiratory indices, such as FEV 1.0 , FEV 0.75 , FEV 0.5 , FEF and MEF 25 were significantly lower in children at 3 years of age with documented ARI episode during infancy after adjusting for current weight, height, gender and baseline tidal volume.