Asthma: Poor lung function at birth may be a cause

Asthma may be linked to poor lung function at birth, researchers have discovered.  Children are twice as likely to develop asthma and wheeze by the age of 10 if their lungs were working below average when they were born and for the first few days afterwards.

Maternal smoking may have a part to play in poor lung functioning, but so did the use of inhaled corticosteroids, the Norwegian research team found.

(Source:  New England Journal of Medicine, 2006; 355: 1682-9).


E-news broadcast 2 November 2006 No.306 [Subscribe]

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