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. 2020 Mar;8(3):849-858.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.01.015.

Childhood Origins of Adult Lung Disease as Opportunities for Prevention

Torie Grant  1 , Emily P Brigham  2 , Meredith C McCormack  3
Affiliations

Childhood Origins of Adult Lung Disease as Opportunities for Prevention

Torie Grant et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020 Mar.

Abstract

Prenatal and childhood exposures have been shown to impact lung development, lung function trajectory, and incidence and prevalence of respiratory disease. Early life may serve as a window of susceptibility to such exposures, with the potential to influence lifelong respiratory health. Risk factors encountered in early life with potentially durable impact on lung health include prematurity, respiratory viral illness, allergen sensitization and exposure, tobacco use and exposure, indoor and outdoor pollution, diet, and obesity. These exposures vary in the extent to which they are modifiable, and interventions aimed at reducing harmful exposures range from individual-level behavior modification to policy initiatives implemented to promote population health. For many exposures, including tobacco-related exposures, multilevel interventions are needed. Future research is needed to provide insight as to early-life interventions to promote optimal lung growth and prevent development of chronic respiratory disease. Clinicians should play an active role, assisting individual patients in avoiding known detrimental exposures including maternal smoking during pregnancy and initiation of active smoking. Clinicians can be empowered by evidence to support policies promoting reduction of population-level risk factors, such as restriction on electronic cigarette sales and legislation to uphold air quality standards, to encourage attainment of maximal lung function and reduce risk of chronic lung disease.

Keywords: Asthma prevention; Asthma risk factors; COPD prevention; COPD risk factors; Lung function trajectory.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no relevant conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Environmental exposures and lung function across the lifespan.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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