
Birth Weight, Due Date, and COPD
Natal conditions may influence susceptibility.
While COPD is a preventable and treatable disease, some people may be born at a disadvantage.
The progressive lung disease is primarily caused by smoking and/or exposure to air pollution, but a 2019
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The analysis of previous studies was conducted by the University of Melbourne with help from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the Royal Women's Hospital, which are also based in Melbourne. Researchers collaborated with experts in Norway, Finland, the United Kingdom, and The Netherlands.
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As increasingly sophisticated methods of medical intervention make it more likely that babies will survive a premature birth, it is both easier and more important to study the long-term health effects on these babies as they reach young adulthood.
The summary also suggests that while many babies born preterm or with a very low birth weight are more likely to develop COPD in adulthood, babies who suffer from bronchopulmonary dysplasia are even more likely to develop COPD. Secondhand smoke and/or exposure to pollutants during childhood can also increase the odds of developing COPD.
Thus, perinatal history may increasingly be considered in the diagnosis of COPD and other breathing problems. While all children should be protected from the health risks associated with secondhand smoke or exposure to pollutants, it’s even more important for children born prematurely or with a low birthweight to minimize the health risk. Individuals who smoke and are also parents of premature or low-birthweight babies have even more reason to quit smoking.
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