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New study has big significance for very small babies
A study of high altitude-related illnesses investigates premature infants' lungs
by Trevor Davis | News Reporter
The researchers discovered the man was born 32 or 33 weeks early and weighed about 3 pounds, 8 ounces at birth, Lovering said. The subject's present lung function compares to that of a 50-year-old.
"At age 50 or 60, this individual will have very poor lung function and will have to have bottled oxygen," Lovering said.
Babies born too soon are also more susceptible to developing Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, a condition that can cause troubled breathing or chest pain, Lovering said.
"The problem with being born this premature is that the last thing to develop is the lungs because you don't need them in the uterus," he said.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia was first diagnosed in the 1960s and early 1970s.
"At that time they were just beginning to be able to keep people born that early alive," Lovering said. "More than 30 years ago, these individuals born that early would have died."
More studies need to be done to investigate the long-term health of babies born very prematurely, Lovering said.
"We want to try and understand how to rehabilitate these patients early on in life so that they can maybe have better long-term outcomes," Lovering said. "The lung stops developing around age six or eight, so you'd have to start really early on."
He said possible treatments could include physical training and exercise, along with breathing exercises.
Gary Klug, head of the human physiology department, said he hopes professors such as Lovering can make further links between different realms of science.
"We want people who can communicate basic science into the clinics in hopes that it shortens the time to get new discoveries into clinical science," Klug said.
"At age 50 or 60, this individual will have very poor lung function and will have to have bottled oxygen," Lovering said.
Babies born too soon are also more susceptible to developing Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, a condition that can cause troubled breathing or chest pain, Lovering said.
"The problem with being born this premature is that the last thing to develop is the lungs because you don't need them in the uterus," he said.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia was first diagnosed in the 1960s and early 1970s.
"At that time they were just beginning to be able to keep people born that early alive," Lovering said. "More than 30 years ago, these individuals born that early would have died."
More studies need to be done to investigate the long-term health of babies born very prematurely, Lovering said.
"We want to try and understand how to rehabilitate these patients early on in life so that they can maybe have better long-term outcomes," Lovering said. "The lung stops developing around age six or eight, so you'd have to start really early on."
He said possible treatments could include physical training and exercise, along with breathing exercises.
Gary Klug, head of the human physiology department, said he hopes professors such as Lovering can make further links between different realms of science.
"We want people who can communicate basic science into the clinics in hopes that it shortens the time to get new discoveries into clinical science," Klug said.
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