Lung find may save babies

A new discovery about the lungs of premature babies – which could improve the way neonatal patients are treated – has been made as part of a Christchurch research collaboration.

The study at Christchurch Women’s Hospital’s Neonatal Unit (NICU) has found differences in the lungs of baby boys and girls, and could mean shorter time is spent on a potentially damaging ventilator for tiny patients.

The findings are the work of Kyeong Tae Kim, a mechanical engineering student at University of Canterbury (UC), who studied infant ventilator use as part of his PhD, which he received after graduating last week.

He ascertained boys have stiffer lungs than girls, which makes it harder for them to get oxygen through a ventilator.

The pilot study provides evidence that boys could benefit from being mechanically ventilated differently.

‘‘A literature review had hinted there were differences between boys and girls, but it was nice to get actual proof,’’ he said.

When babies are born prematurely it is common for them to be placed on a mechanical ventilator which helps them breathe by pumping oxygen into their lungs.

Kim worked alongside neonatal paediatrician Dr Bronwyn Dixon at NICU.

She said although it has been known for some time that there are differences in outcomes – in terms of survival and disease – for male and female babies on a ventilator, it has not been clear why.

‘‘It’s really exciting information,’’ Dixon said.

‘‘Every time we ventilate for a baby we potentially do harm to their lungs, which we can’t avoid doing, but it’s about minimising that harm.’’

Kim developed a software model to analyse the airway pressure and flow data from 10 infants who were on a mechanical ventilator.

‘‘The results suggest that boy and girl babies should be ventilated differently,’’ he said.

‘‘Girls had more variability in their breaths and could need to be more frequently monitored.’’

The gender differences could arise because girls develop more quickly in the womb than boys.

Kim’s PhD work has been published in the journal Pediatric Pulmonology.