How premature birth affects lungs

The negative effects of premature birth could be as severe in the lungs of moderately premature babies as those born extremely prematurely - but may be reversed in their teenage years. The finding is the result of Cardiff-led research presented at the European Respiratory Society Annual Congress in Amsterdam. Normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, which allows enough time for the infant to fully grow and develop before birth. Babies born prematurely have immature lungs, which can cause severe breathing difficulties such as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). The researchers examined the lung function of children at the age of 8 and again at the age of 14 using a spirometry test. They compared children born at various stages of prematurity comparing their results to those born on time. The results showed that those born moderately early at 33 weeks had significantly lower lung functions at the age of 8 when compared to those born on time.