Losing Sleep Could Kill Brain Cells

This study was conducted in mice, looking at markers that predict injury to neurons.  If the same phenomenon is present in humans, it might change our sleep habits.  Dr. Susarla 

Losing Sleep Could Kill Brain Cells

Late-shift workers, students and other night owls take note –  a new sleep study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania has shown for the first time that extended periods of sleeplessness can lead to irreversible brain damage. 

While previous studies have shown cognitive performance declines after sleep loss, the latest research challenges the long-held notion that a "sleep debt" could be recovered by makeup rest. Researchers at UPenn and collaborators at Peking University have found extended periods of wakefulness actually kill some neurons and cause damage to others. 

Scientists knew there were certain neurons in the brain stem that are awake when we are awake and "sleep when we sleep," says Dr. Sigrid Veasey, a study author and professor at UPenn's Perelman School of Medicine. 

“This gave us an indication that maybe [the cells] needed their rest,” she says. “We hypothesized that the cells that were going to be the most likely to get injured would be some of the cells that are active during wakefulness.”

These particular neurons located in the brain stem are critical to attention, cognitive performance and also play a role in determining one’s mood.

“So if there’s an injury to these neurons, then you may have poor ability to pay attention and you might also have depression,” Veasey says.

Veasey and her colleagues used a mouse model to explore the impact of imposed wakefulness on mice’s brains. They separated mice into three groups. One group was allowed sleep as usual, another group was kept awake for three additional hours during their normal sleep period in a space outfitted with "play" items – wheels, toys and other mice. A third group of mice was kept awake in a similar environment during their normal sleep period for an additional eight hours, for three days.

Humans and other mammals share these same neural networks, so looking at wakefulness in mice is a good proxy for understanding the sleep habits of humans.  

“There’s every indication that they function the same way,” says Veasey.

After procuring brain tissue from the mice, researchers found an increase in the amount of a protein known as SirT3, that protects these "wake-active neurons" from damage among the mice who were kept from sleeping for shortened periods, but the mice who were kept awake for extended periods did not show any increase in this protective protein. Researchers also found a 25 to 30 percent loss of neurons and an increase in what’s known as oxidative stress in the extended wakefulness group of mice. This stress causes the proteins inside these neurons to fold on top of each other and can prevent them from communicating with other neurons. Some of the mice had a genetic deletion which stopped them from producing this key protein. Those mice also incurred damage to these sleep-sensitive neurons, even with only short-term sleep loss. 

“So really the cells that are remaining just don’t function well,” says Veasey.

The results of the study emphasize the critical importance of sleep, says Veasey. 

“You can push the system a little bit, but you can’t push it too hard and for too long or you’ll have irreversible consequences,” she says.

For students, academics and other professionals looking to gain an edge, Veasey says, “You’re at a time in your life when you really have to pull a couple of all-nighters to sustain that edge academically or professionally, but by cutting our sleep times short then do we end up losing that edge in the long term because we lose those neurons that are so critical for attention?”

Veasey says while she can't repeat this study in humans, there is certainly room for more research.

In addition, having learned the critical importance of this protective protein SirT3, researchers believe that it could provide avenues for new treatment.

"If we can show that we can protect the cells and wakefulness, then we're launched in the direction of a promising therapeutic target for millions of shift workers," said Veasey in a press release.

Future studies could use brain imaging techniques to look at people with sleeping disorders to help researchers better understand the damage that's incurred through sleep loss.

The study was first published Tuesday in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Read article here.

Preterm Birth May Raise Child's Asthma Risk, Study Suggests

Premie infants seem to have a higher risk for early childhood wheezing, which often follows a pattern consistent with asthma. Dr. Susarla

THURSDAY, March 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new study may add asthma to the list of downsides of being born too early.

Children who were born prematurely appear to be at higher risk for asthma and wheezing disorders, according to a new review.

Researchers led by Dr. Aziz Sheikh, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, looked at 30 studies focused on links between preterm birth -- defined as less than 37 weeks' gestation -- and asthma or wheezing disorders among more than 1.5 million children.

Their analysis found that preterm babies were 70 percent more likely than full-term infants to develop asthma or wheezing disorders later in childhood. Overall, close to 14 percent of "preemie" babies went on to develop asthma during childhood, compared to 8.3 percent of babies born at term.

The risk was even higher for very preterm babies, defined as children born at less than 32 weeks' gestation. These infants were about three times more likely than full-term babies to develop asthma or wheezing disorders later on.

"Worldwide, more than 11 percent of babies are born preterm," Sheikh said in a hospital news release.

"As asthma is a chronic condition, our findings underscore the need to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the association between preterm birth and asthma or wheezing disorders in order to develop preventive and therapeutic interventions," he said.

Although the study found an association between premature birth and later asthma, it could not prove cause and effect. The findings were published in a recent issue of the journal PLoS Medicine.

Read article here.

Education is the Key to Better Asthma Management

It takes time to educate patients and parents about managing asthma.  The right asthma specialist can condense volumes of evidenced based literature and practice guidelines into  more easily understandable pearls that can be practical in our busy lives.  Dr. Susarla

What Are Some Strategies to Enhance Asthma Education in My Practice?

Primary-care offices are typically very busy places. As a result, the educational needs of parents and children with asthma often go unmet.¹Lack of time is a common reason reported for not providing asthma education in the primary-care setting.² However, providing asthma care consistent with the National Asthma Education and Prevention ProgramExpert Panel Report 3 (NAEPP EPR-3) Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, which includes self-management education, does not have to be time consuming. One study evaluated the effects on patients 2 years after pediatricians were taught by their peers to enhance their skills in asthma therapies and counseling. This study found that pediatricians who participated in the training benefited in important ways. Trained physicians received higher patient-rated performance scores regarding communication behaviors important to promoting patient’s satisfaction and ability to manage asthma on their own, and in addition, their patients were also less likely to incur disruption of sleep caused by asthma symptoms. Another important finding of this study was that these positive results were achieved even though there was no difference in the time that peer-trained physicians spent with their asthma patients when first diagnosing a patient, seeing a new patient, or seeing a return patient. In fact, the peer-trained physicians spent less time with patients during urgent visits.³ Such a method for enhancing education in your practice requires changing physician behavior.

System-level changes have also been evaluated. In one such study, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of 2 asthma-care improvement strategies in the primary-care setting. One was less time consuming and less expensive and consisted of peer leader education. The other was more intensive and more expensive and consisted of allocating a nurse to conduct planned asthma-care visits. This group also received peer education. Findings revealed that, although both strategies decreased asthma symptom days, the peer leader group did not reach statistical significance.⁴ Therefore, when attempting to enhance educational practices in your office, it may be more effective to institute changes that target systems-oriented improvements, for example, developing a system that ensures all patients with asthma receive a written asthma action plan as per NAEPP EPR-3 Guidelines. One way to accomplish this is to automate the process by using an electronic medical record system. Such an approach makes it easy for the provider, legible for the patient and family, and a permanent part of the medical record. If instituting an electronic medical record is not feasible in your practice, having asthma action plans that are preprinted with medication names allowing you to check off or circle the treatment prescribed or having asthma action plans with a preprinted short-acting beta-agonist so that you only need to write the long-term control medications are 2 time-saving options. Creative shortcuts can also be useful. For example, color-coded labels for long-term control and quick-relief medications can be preprinted and then added to the action plan at the end of the visit. An example of such a plan can be found in Figure 39-1. All action plans described allow for individualization in an efficient manner.

Figure 39-1.Sample written asthma action plan with preprinted labels. 

Having written asthma action plans is only one step in the process for enhancing education in your office; using them is an even more important step. To encourage use of the action plans in your office, it is important to keep them readily available. Some suggestions include keeping the asthma action plans in each exam room so that they are easily accessible during each patient visit or having them clipped to the front of each asthma patient’s chart before the visit begins.

Another method for enhancing education in your practice is to make resources available to your patients and to view each opportunity as a teachable moment. For example, providing patients and families with internet opportunities (such as the Quest for the Code asthma game found at www.asthma.starlight.org) for self-education while they are sitting in the waiting room or providing them with a list of resources (Table 39-1) that they can access at their convenience allows them to learn at their own pace. However, it is extremely vital to recognize that merely providing patients and families educational materials without providing explanation is not true education. All educational materials and resources provided to patients must be reviewed and reinforced by all members of your health care team. One way to accomplish this is to develop asthma-specific visit forms that include a list of key educational messages. This list can be used to prompt providers to introduce or review a message or messages at each visit. Thus, providing consistent and repeated educational messages by all members of your health care team is another step to enhancing education in your practice.

 

An alternative or supplementary method for providing self-management education and addressing key educational messages is to offer asthma education classes and resources in your office. Asthma education classes allow you to personally review important self-management concepts in a group setting, thus promoting efficiency as well as education. Numerous examples and forms (print, audio-video, online) of asthma educational resources are available that can also be tailored to meet the needs of an individual practice.

Two final recommendations for enhancing education in your practice include hiring a nationally certified asthma educator to provide education during patient visits as well as via telephone in between visits, and developing a system for referring patients who need additional education to asthma specialists. Both of these strategies are supported by the NAEPP EPR-3 Guidelines. The Guidelines recommend using health professionals and others trained in asthma self-management education to implement and teach asthma self-management. They also recommend referring patients who need additional education to improve adherence to asthma specialists.⁵National certification for asthma educators has been available since 2002; thus, it is relatively new, and the effectiveness of education provided by certified asthma educators has not been reported. However, numerous randomized controlled studies have reported improved asthma outcomes when patients and families were educated by someone specially trained in asthma care and self-management.⁶

Summary

There are many options for enhancing education in your practice; some are more labor-intensive and costly than others. Developing a system that fits within the confines of your practice makes quality asthma education accessible to all of your patients with asthma and their families, and using all members of your health care team is the best approach to enhancing asthma education in your practice.

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Lung function changes seen in later childhood in premature infants

Children with history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, also commonly referred to as chronic lung disease have increased risk for respiratory symptoms in later childhood.  This seems to correlate with lung function changes that can be measured with simple non-invasive office testing. Dr. Susarla

Pulmonary Outcome in Former Preterm, Very Low Birth Weight Children with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: A Case-Control Follow-Up at School Age.

Maike Hove, Freerk Prenzel, Holm H Uhlig, Eva Tillig

OBJECTIVE:

To assess and compare long-term pulmonary outcomes in former preterm-born, very low birth weight (VLBW) children with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) born in the surfactant era.

STUDY DESIGN:

Pulmonary function tests (ie, spirometry, body plethysmography, and gas transfer testing) were performed in children with a history of VLBW and BPD (n = 28) and compared with a matched preterm-born VLBW control group (n = 28). Medical history was evaluated by questionnaire.

RESULTS:

At time of follow-up (mean age, 9.5 years), respiratory symptoms (36% vs 8%) and receipt of asthma medication (21% vs 0%) were significantly more frequent in the preterm-born children with previous BPD than in those with no history of BPD. The children with a history of BPD had significantly lower values for forced expiratory volume in 1 second (z-score -1.27 vs -0.4; P = .008), forced vital capacity (z-score -1.39 vs -0.71 z-score; P = .022), and forced expiratory flow rate at 50% of forced vital capacity (z-score -2.21 vs -1.04; P = .048) compared with the preterm control group.

CONCLUSION:

Preterm-born children with a history of BPD are significantly more likely to have lung function abnormalities, such as airway obstruction and respiratory symptoms, at school age compared with preterm-born children without BPD.

Read article here.

Researcher may have a cure for Type 1 diabetes

Ben-Gurion University researcher may have a cure for Type 1 diabetes

Click photo to download. Caption: Dr. Eli Lewis (pictured), a world-renowned expert on autoimmune disease and the director of the Clinical Islet Laboratory of the Department of Clinical Biochemistry & Pharmacology at Ben-Gurion University, may have a cure for Type 1 diabetes. Credit: Danny Machlis, Ben-Gurion University.

By Maayan Jaffe/JNS.org
While methods of insulin administration have improved, and modes of measuring how much insulin to give are far superior to those of the 1920s, when insulin was discovered, there have been no major advancements toward a cure for Type 1 diabetes for almost a century.
Until now, Dr. Eli Lewis believes.
“Tissue damage actually plays a role in Type 1 diabetes… but it is often overlooked and under-studied,” Lewis—a world-renowned expert on autoimmune disease and the director of the Clinical Islet Laboratory of the Department of Clinical Biochemistry & Pharmacology at Ben-Gurion University (BGU)—told JNS.org. “There was at least one stone that was left unturned.”
In 2003, Lewis began his research into the role of inflammation in injured islets, tiny clusters of insulin-producing cells scattered throughout the pancreas. And during that time he discovered that Alpha 1 Antitrypsin (AAT), an anti-inflammatory drug based on a natural protein our bodies produce each day and generally used to treat emphysema, not only shows promise for reducing insulin dependence but in some cases can actually cure a person of Type 1 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes plagues 25.8 million Americans of all ages, about 8.3 percent of the U.S. population, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. A similar percentage of the Israeli population is affected, said Lewis, who added that on average 40 more Americans are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes each day. All Type 1 diabetics require insulin treatment.

Click photo to download. Caption: Insulin vials. While methods of insulin administration have improved and modes of measuring how much insulin to give are far superior than they were in the 1920s, when insulin was discovered, there have been no major advancements toward a cure for Type 1 diabetes for almost a century. But Dr. Eli Lewis of Ben-Gurion University may change that. Credit: Mr Hyde via Wikimedia Commons.

The hormone insulin, produced by clusters of cells found on islets that reside in the pancreas, enables the body to remove glucose (sugar) from the blood into storage locations such as liver and muscle. These cells are the targets of an autoimmune response in Type 1 diabetes. When the cells become inflamed and ultimately malfunction, insulin can no longer be produced. In a healthy individual, the body naturally produces systemic AAT in the liver that helps repair tissue and reduces inflammation. It was recently established that AAT, although present in patients with Type 1 diabetes, does not function in its glycated form.
In three recent clinical trials that took place at BGU, the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and the Joslin Diabetes Center (affiliated with Harvard Medical School), recently diagnosed patients received injections of functioning AAT in the form of a liquid slow-drip infusion. They basically regained the ability to fight inflammation and protect damaged cells from aberrant immune responses. Within eight to 12 weeks AAT therapy was withdrawn, and in several patients proper glucose levels were controlled without the need for insulin injections for more than two years.

Click photo to download. Caption: Pictured in center is Dr. Eli Lewis, a world-renowned expert on autoimmune disease and the director of the Clinical Islet Laboratory of the Department of Clinical Biochemistry & Pharmacology at Ben-Gurion University. Lewis may have a cure for Type 1 diabetes. Credit: Danny Machlis, Ben-Gurion University.

Since AAT was already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it received fast-track approval into human clinical trials in the U.S., Lewis said, noting it still will take at least another two years for AAT to receive FDA approval as an on-label treatment for Type 1 diabetes. But some physicians have been prescribing it in the meantime as an off-label treatment.

Dana Heffernan’s son Zach, 11, received AAT treatment from his doctor in San Antonio, Texas. Heffernan said her son was diagnosed on Nov. 12, 2013 and received his first treatment in mid-December.

“He went from approximately 10 units of insulin per day [70 units per week] down to two units per week. So that is pretty significant. Will he ever be off insulin completely? That is my hope, but we will have to see,” Heffernan said.

In another public case, which Lewis discussed, the Consul General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest, Andy David, accessed AAT for use in treating his 9-year-old daughter. She underwent once-a-week slow-drip infusions of AAT for 8 weeks. That was close to three years ago, and she has not had to have insulin since.

The treatment, however, may not be effective for all patients. Dr. Peter A. Gottlieb, professor of pediatrics and medicine at the Davis Center, led the Colorado clinical trial. He said the treatment was promising for about one-third of those who received AAT, but was less effective or even ineffective in others. He attributes this to multiple factors, including how long the person has had the disease and how much of the AAT was administered. He said another set of clinical trials is underway using larger doses. Lewis said in all trials, if one has been diagnosed with Type 1 for more than six months “the benefits are minimal.”

More here.

Study reveals link between neonatal and early childhood outcomes among premature infants-Close surveillance is needed

Whoa... one in five babies who appeared healthy at the time of hospital discharge had cerebral palsy or neurologic impairment at 2 years of age"!! 

Close follow-up with a specialist interested in maximizing your baby's potential for learning growth and development.

Dr. Rotenberg,
Member American Academy of Cerebral Palsy & Developmental Medicine

In a study to be presented on Feb. 6 at 3:15 p.m. CST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting-, in New Orleans, researchers will report on a correlation between initial neonatal and early childhood outcomes among children delivered less than 34 weeks gestation.

Preterm babies are at high risk for death and other serious medical complications, and some premature infants continue to experience side effects from prematurity even during later childhood. It's uncertain whether preterm babies diagnosed with intestinal problems, severe
respiratory problems, bleeding in their brains, and other complications during their stay in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) after birth will continue to have complications when examined later in childhood.

This study examined more than 1,700 babies who were born prematurely at less than 34 weeks gestation. It then followed babies after they were discharged from the NICU and re-evaluated them as 2-year-olds for evidence of cerebral palsy and neurologic impairment.

Results revealed that about one in five babies who appeared healthy at the time of hospital discharge had cerebral palsy or neurologic impairment at 2 years of age. Further, one in three babies who had one or more serious complications during their NICU stay also had these complications.

"Babies delivered preterm are at high risk for complications as newborns and also later in childhood," said Tracy Manuck, M.D., one of the researchers and co-director of the University of Utah Prematurity Prevention Clinic. "We found that babies who had serious complications in the newborn intensive care unit were more likely to have cerebral palsy or neurologic impairment in early childhood, but not necessarily. The converse is also true, as about one in five babies who appeared healthy at the time of hospital discharge had complications in early childhood. Early childhood evaluation and interventions should not be withheld from seemingly healthy previous preterm children."

However, Manuck noted that the relationship between serious NICU complications and serious neurologic impairment in early childhood was not perfect, as the NICU complications were only moderately predictive of prognosis later in childhood.

Read article here.

Winter is worse time for people with asthma

Asthma symptoms may remain dormant for some time before surfacing during a high risk time period.  Winter and "virus season" often uncovers asthma that may not be adequately controlled. Dr. Susarla

Winter is worse time for people with asthma 

(CNN) — Asthma affects more than 22 million Americans of all ages.

It can be challenging, even dangerous, for asthmatics who don't take proper care of themselves.

And the wintertime poses its own set of triggers.

Gayle Richardson is breathing easier these days, now that she has her asthma under control.

But certain things trigger her condition, especially this time of year.

“I have more issues with asthma in the wintertime because of the colds and the flu virus that are floating around, if I get something like that, it will definitely have a stronger effect on me,” Richardson explained.

This is common in people with the chronic lung condition, says Dr. Stanley Fineman:

“Because the asthmatic has airways that are very hyper-sensitive, they're already inflamed, so the virus does more damage in the asthmatic patients than they would do in somebody who doesn't have asthma.”

Inflamed and swollen lungs can make it difficult to breathe.

To minimize attacks during winter, Dr. Fineman offers advice to patients.

Most importantly, know your triggers.

Cold air can exacerbate the condition, as can windy weather.

But also, stay on long-term control medication.

Remember indoor irritants too, things like: smoke, scented candles and fireplaces.

He recommends a flu shot for everyone with the condition.

And his final tip to keep healthy could be the simplest.

Good hand washing and good hygiene is also important.

Read article here.

Some Asthma Patients May Be Overmedicated, Doctors Say

How is your child's asthma managed?  National asthma guidelines stress the importance of  scheduled reassessment of asthma control, which under the proper direction can reduce excessive use of asthma medication.  Consult a pediatric pulmonologist for asthma check-ups for best guidance coupled with state of the art lung function testing to help achieve the right balance.  Dr. Susarla 

Some Asthma Patients May Be Overmedicated, Doctors Say

People with mild asthma are advised to lower their medication dose once their asthma has been brought under control, but the best way to reduce the dose is not fully known, doctors say.

As a result, patients may be staying on higher doses than what's necessary to keep their condition under control.

"We need to find a way to help patients control their asthma, without overmedicating them," said Dr. John Mastronarde, director of the Asthma Center at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center.

"Right now, the recommendation is to reduce a patient's therapy once the asthma is controlled for at least three months," Mastronarde said.
To control asthma, patients typically take drugs called inhaled corticosteroids, to reduce inflammation in the lungs, and long-acting beta agonists (LABAs), to open the airways. Doctors adjust the medication dose based on the patient's symptoms and lung function.
Once a patient's asthma is controlled, the drug dose should be lowered carefully, to the minimum dose necessary, according to the National Institutes of Health's guidelines for treating asthma.
"But that's where things just don't happen," Mastronarde said. "Once you get the symptoms under control, sometimes both the patient and the doctor just leave the patient on whatever they are on, because they don't want it to get worse again."
Although low doses of inhaled corticosteroids are safe, it is thought that taking high doses of the drugs for a long time may weaken the bones, especially in post-menopausal women, or possibly increase the risk of eye cataracts. Higher doses also cost more, Mastronarde noted.
Long-acting beta agonists may have some effects on a person'sheartbeat and blood pressure. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends these drugs be used for the shortest time needed to control asthma symptoms, and that they be discontinued if possible.
Although lowering the doses of these medications is recommended, no one knows the best way to do that, Mastronarde said.
To help establish guidelines, Mastronarde and his colleagues are launching a yearlong study to examine 450 people with moderate asthma, who will receive inhaled corticosteroids and beta agonists for eight weeks. For the participants whose asthma is well controlled, the researchers will then see which method would work better: reducing the doses of their medication, or eliminating the beta agonists.
But in the meantime, patients whose asthma is controlled for three months can talk to their doctor about whether they can decrease their medication dose, Mastronarde said.

Read article here.

Attention Parents of Premature and Vulnerable Infants: Houston NICU Follow Up Clinic

Attention Parents of Premature and Vulnerable Infants: Houston NICU Follow Up Clinic

New Service Announcement:

I am writing to introduce our community to  our  cross-disciplinary NICU follow-up clinic. 

Our goals are: 

1) to augment /bridge services for infants at risk, and 

2) to increase meaningful engagement with rehab and support services when needed. 

Dr Susarla will lead this effort from a pulmonary/feeding perspective and 

Dr Rotenberg will monitor any neurology / neurodevelopmental issues. 

Follow This Link to Our Referral Form

Who is a candidate?
☐ Prematurity
☐Low Birth Weright (<1500g a="" nbsp="">
☐Apnea 
☐Chronic lung disease 
☐Dysphagia 
☐Tachypnea 
☐Tracheomalacia
☐Craniofacial  disorders
☐Tracheostomy/Home ventilator
☐Developmental Delay 
☐Hypotonia 
☐Seizures 
☐Intraventricular hemorrhage 
☐Congenital infection 
☐Neonatal stroke
☐ Genetic Abnormality
☐Congenital Anomalies 
☐Abnormal hearing screen
☐GE Reflux/aspiration
☐Abnormal Metabolic Screen
☐Laryngomalacia
☐Vocal cord paralysis


For scheduling questions, please call:
Phone 713-464-4107
Fax 713-464-4522
www.txmss.com

Study: Preemies are at a higher risk of asthma

A study shows that babies born prematurely are more likely to develop asthma, although the reason why this is so is not completely understood.

The World Health Organization estimates that 15 million babies are born premature every year, which means they are born before 37 weeks. But new research suggests that risks are higher than previously thought for preterm babies to develop childhood asthma, compared with their full-term counterparts.

Publishing their results in the journal PLoS Medicine, the researchers studied data on more than 1.5 million children around the world.

They used information on patients born since the 1990s from 30 studies, which came from six continents. The majority of the studies came from Europe.

Preterm babies often encounter breathing problems because their lungs are immature, the authors note. They drew from previous research on preterm children born between the 1960s and 1980s, which showed that many of them developed asthma.

However, the researchers say it was unclear whether improved care for preterm babies since then has affected the long-term risk of developing asthma.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, and the team notes that because an increasing number of preterm babies survive birth, the condition is becoming a "significant health problem."

Preterm babies 50% more likely to develop asthma

Overall, the study revealed that while asthma affects 8% of children born at full term, it affects 14% of preterm babies.

In detail, the team found that babies born before 37 weeks were 50% more likely to develop asthma, and those born 2 months early were three times as likely to develop asthma, compared with full-term babies.

Additionally, risks of developing the breathing condition were the same for preschoolers and school-age children, which suggests children who are born early do not outgrow the risk.

"Doctors and parents need to be aware of the increased risks of asthma in premature babies, in order to make early diagnosis and intervention possible," says Dr. Jasper Been, lead study author from the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Population Health Sciences in Scotland.

Dr. Been adds:

"By changing the way we monitor and treat children born preterm, we hope to decrease the future risks of serious breathing problems, including asthma. Our findings should help find better ways to prevent and treat asthma and asthma-like symptoms in those born preterm."

Standard asthma meds 'safe in pregnancy'

The authors say the results of their study provide "compelling evidence" that preterm birth increases asthma risks, and they note that future research "needs to focus on understanding underlying mechanisms, and then to translate these insights into the development of preventive interventions."

But Dr. Samantha Walker, executive director of research and policy at Asthma UK, emphasizes the importance of current asthma medications:

"Standard asthma medicine is very safe to use in pregnancy, and by far the most important way to reduce this risk is for pregnant women to take their medication as prescribed."

She adds that maintaining a healthy weight, staying active, avoiding stress and not smoking are also important measures to keep in mind.

When asked about any further research the team has planned, Dr. Been told Medical News Today:

"An important factor that causes both preterm birth and asthma, particularly in those born preterm, is tobacco smoke exposure before birth. Our current research focuses on evaluating interventions to address this issue."

In other asthma news, a study recently suggested that secondhand smoke is linked to hospital readmission for asthmatic children. The authors of that study believe their findings could prompt insurance companies to give incentives to parents or guardians who quit smoking.

Read more here