Predicting The Long Term Lung Health Outcomes In Young Adults Born Very Preterm
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$854,201.00
Summary
Preterm birth and its resulting lung problems can lead to breathing problems during childhood and into adult life. There are very few lung health studies that have tracked preterm individuals from childhood and into early adult life. This study will conduct a detailed lung health assessment in a follow-up of a group of preterm individuals at 19 years of age. We aim to identify if information we obtained in the group at 6 and 11 years can predict how the lungs look and behave at 19 years of age.
Fetal Growth Restriction, Low Birth Weight And The Development Of Asthma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$397,003.00
Summary
Asthma is a common disease in Australia that causes breathing difficulties. Studies have shown that restricted growth in the womb may be linked to developing asthma in childhood and adulthood. The reason for this isn't clear but we believe that restricted growth may alter the normal development of the baby's airway and lungs. Changes to the normal structure of the lungs leads to a higher risk of developing asthma.
Adolescent Assessment Of The Perth Infant Respiratory Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$412,327.00
Summary
In spite of extensive research over several years, we still don t know why some people get asthma while others do not or at what age the disease begins. We also don t know why in some people, asthma resolves during the teenage years while in other people the disease persists through adolescence. The Perth respiratory cohort has been studied on repeated occasions (at recruitment prior to birth, 1, 6 and 12 months, 6 and 11 years of age) and is unique in having measured airway responsiveness (AR) ....In spite of extensive research over several years, we still don t know why some people get asthma while others do not or at what age the disease begins. We also don t know why in some people, asthma resolves during the teenage years while in other people the disease persists through adolescence. The Perth respiratory cohort has been studied on repeated occasions (at recruitment prior to birth, 1, 6 and 12 months, 6 and 11 years of age) and is unique in having measured airway responsiveness (AR) soon after birth and at each subsequent assessment. Our previous data have established the importance of an individual s airway status in infancy in determining respiratory health in mid-childhood. Since the last assessment at 11 years, most children in this cohort will have passed through puberty. Lung growth will have been maximal, but there will be differences in the rate of growth between boys and girls. Body size will also have increased during this period and the body mass index may start to exert a major influence on measured respiratory function and the development or persistence of asthma. The aim of this research (assessing the Perth respiratory cohort at 16 years of age) is to look at the effect of gender, puberty and obesity on the previously identified early life risk factors to see how they determine respiratory health in 16 year olds. We expect that airway status in early life will continue to predict respiratory health at 16 years of age and that respiratory health will be modified by gender, puberty and the development of obesity. In addition we expect that genetic variations will show age-specificity in their associations with disease outcomes ie. particular variations will be associated with disease at different ages. This study will answer fundamental questions on airway function and physiology through childhood and adolescence.Read moreRead less