Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40470143›Full record

ArticleERJ open research2025

The effect of moderate-to-late preterm birth on lung function over the first 5 years of life in a South African birth cohort.

Shaakira Chaya, Shannon J Simpson, Nicola Marozva, Carvern Jacobs, Maresa Botha, Lesley Workman, Zoltán Hantos, Heather J Zar, Diane Gray

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Article in ERJ open research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Shaakira ChayaDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and SA-MRC Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7034-9289
Shannon J SimpsonWal-yan Respiratory Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Australia.
Nicola MarozvaDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and SA-MRC Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Carvern JacobsDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and SA-MRC Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Maresa BothaDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and SA-MRC Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Lesley WorkmanDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and SA-MRC Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Zoltán HantosDepartment of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5696-7750
Heather J ZarDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and SA-MRC Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Diane GrayDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and SA-MRC Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7712-6774

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Preterm birth is associated with increased mortality and morbidity, particularly due to lung disease. Low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) have the highest rates of preterm birth. Infants born extremely preterm rarely survive, so the largest burden is amongst moderate-to-late preterm (MLP) infants. The long-term health impact on MLP children in LMIC is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of MLP birth on lung function trajectories from birth to 5 years in the Drakenstein Child Health Study. Methods: Children were followed from birth with lung function measurements at 6 weeks and annually until 5 years. Exposures were longitudinally collected from the antenatal period through to 5 years of age. Lung function tests included spectral and intra-breath oscillometry, tidal breathing and multiple breath washout. Mixed-effect models adjusted using a minimum set of variables were used. Results: Of 923 children, 119 (13%) were born MLP (32- <37 weeks' gestation; median gestational age 35 weeks) and 19 (2%) at <32 weeks' gestation. Children born MLP had altered lung function trajectories. Spectral oscillometry demonstrated a 13% reduction in compliance (0.87, 95% CI: 0.82-0.92), 5% increase in resistance at end expiration (1.05, 95% CI: 1.01-1.09) and 1.74 Hz (95% CI: 1.10-2.39) increase in resonance frequency over 5 years compared to term children. The proportion of children hospitalised for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) was higher in preterm-born children (29 (23.6%) MLP; 18 (94.7%) extreme to very preterm; 109 (14%) term-born children; p<0.01). LRTI and tobacco smoke exposure were associated with impaired lung function, but the impact of MLP on lung function was independent of these. Conclusion: MLP-born children have impaired lung function trajectories over the first 5 years of life, highlighting the importance of strengthening maternal health, perinatal care and strategies to reduce tobacco smoke exposure and early life LRTI.

Identifiers

PMID40470143
PMCPMC12134917

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.