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Comparative Study
. 2016 Oct;18(5):498-504.
doi: 10.1177/1099800416643585. Epub 2016 Apr 13.

Growth Deficiency in Cystic Fibrosis Is Observable at Birth and Predictive of Early Pulmonary Function

Rebecca Darrah  1 , Rebecca Nelson  2 , Elizabeth G Damato  3 , Michael Decker  3 , Anne Matthews  4 , Craig A Hodges  5
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Growth Deficiency in Cystic Fibrosis Is Observable at Birth and Predictive of Early Pulmonary Function

Rebecca Darrah et al. Biol Res Nurs. 2016 Oct.

Abstract

Introduction: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a complex disease that includes both pulmonary and gastrointestinal challenges, resulting in decreased weight. Pulmonary symptoms of CF are extremely variable. Greater body mass at an early age is associated with improved pulmonary function, but it is unknown at what age weight becomes predictive of pulmonary disease severity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between birth weight and pulmonary function in CF.

Methods: Birth weight and pulmonary data were obtained. Linear regressions were used to examine the relationship between these two variables. A one-tailed t-test was used to compare birth weights between CF patients and the national average.

Results: Birth weight was significantly lower in babies with CF and correlated with pulmonary disease at ages 6 and 10 years but not with age at which Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization was observed.

Discussion: These data suggest that CF growth deficiency has prenatal origins. Early nutritional intervention for babies with CF and a low birth weight is warranted to maximize pulmonary potential.

Keywords: birth weight; cystic fibrosis; genetics; pediatrics; respiratory.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The average birth weight of participating males (n = 40) and females (n = 39) with cystic fibrosis compared with national averages.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The average birth weight of patients with cystic fibrosis grouped by age on December 31, 2013, by one-way analysis of variance, p = .42.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
The relationship between birth weight and percentage of expected forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1%) at 6 years of age (n = 55), R 2 = .08, p = .04.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
The relationship between birth weight and percentage of expected forced expiratory volume in 1 s at 10 years of age (n = 59), R 2 = .07, p = .05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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