Nasal potential difference increases with gestation in moderately preterm neonates on the first postnatal day
- 1Liverpool Women’s Hospital, Neonatal Unit, Crown Street, Liverpool L8 7SS, UK
- 2Institute of Child Health, University of Liverpool, Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital, Alder Hey, Liverpool L12 2AP, UK
- Correspondence to:
Dr Gaillard
Respiratory Unit, Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital, Eaton Road, Liverpool L12 2AP; gaillardliv.ac.uk
- Accepted 2 September 2004
Abstract
At birth the mammalian airway switches from liquid secretion to absorption, an important mechanism in lung liquid clearance. Airway ion transport was examined on the first postnatal day in 38 moderately preterm infants (29–36 weeks gestation). The absorptive airway ion transport capacity was well developed regardless of respiratory condition and there was little capacity for Cl− secretion.
- airway epithelium
- chloride transport
- epithelial sodium channel
- respiratory distress
- sodium transport
Footnotes
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Funding: EAG was supported by the Liverpool Women’s Hospital “Newborn Appeal”. HLW was supported by the Medical Research Council, UK.
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Competing interests: none declared
