Effects of caffeine therapy on preterm infant`s lung function

Abstract

Objective: to know the effect of caffeine therapy on infant lung function in preterm infants with a gestational age Material and Methods: Preterm infants were classified as having BPD when their oxygen dependency persisted at 36 weeks postmenstrual age. FVC, FEV0.5, FEF75 and FEF25-75 were obtained by means of the raised volume rapid thoraco-abdominal compression technique (RVRTC); and FRC was measured by plethysmography. A t-Student test was used to compare lung function measurements between the two groups of preterm newborns: treated vs. non-treated with caffeine. A multivariate regression analysis was carried out considering each and every lung function parameter (z-score) as the dependent variable; and gender, gestational age, birth weight (z-score), corrected age, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) (yes/no) and BPD diagnosis (yes/no) as independent ones. Results were stratified by BDP diagnosis. Results: The multivariate analysis showed significant higher z-scores of FVC and FEV0.5 in preterm infants treated with caffeine (β=0.3; 95%CI: 0.10 to 0.51; p=0.04 and β=0.33; 95%CI: 0.04 to 0.62; p=0.024 respectively), being this result more clearly significant in the group of non-BPD infants (p=0.021 and p=0.042). We did not find differences in the rest of lung parameters. Conclusion: FVC and FEV0.5 were higher in infants born under 31 weeks of gestational age that received caffeine therapy as compared to those not-treated, the effect being higher and significant in non-BPD infants. The effect of caffeine in infant lung function is independent of receiving IMV in the newborn period.