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This research project will investigate the traits of preterm lung disease, looking into the long-term lung health of children born preterm, aiming to identify traits that could help guide better treatments in the future.

The PELICAN (Prematurity’s Effects on the Lungs in Children and Adults Network) Clinical Research Collaboration was launched by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) in 2020

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition that results in chronic lung disease. In recent years, a new type of medication called CFTR modulators has become available.

Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease that impairs quality of life and reduces life expectancy.

The link between respiratory and vascular health is well documented in adult populations. Impaired lung function is consistently associated with thicker arteries and higher incidence of cardiovascular disease. However, there are limited data on this relationship in young children and the studies that exist have focussed on populations at high risk of cardiorespiratory morbidity.

Nasal epithelial cells from very preterm infants have a functional defect in their ability to repair beyond the first year of life, and failed repair may be associated with antenatal steroid exposure.

Children with asthma face serious mental health risk, but the pathways remain unclear. This study aimed to examine bullying victimisation and perpetration in children with asthma and a comparison sample without a chronic health condition, and the role of bullying in moderating psychosocial adjustment outcomes for those with asthma. A sample of children with and without asthma, and their parents, were recruited from hospital clinics.

Small airway and lung parenchymal abnormalities frequently occur following preterm birth but are commonly missed by spirometry. Static lung volumes, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (D LCO) and oscillometry provide a more precise characterisation of these conditions. We hypothesised that differences in these measures exist between individuals born preterm and at term and we aimed to systematically review the literature to identify and quantify these differences in lung function.

Nasal epithelial cells from young adults with a history of very preterm birth show delayed closure following scratch-wounding. Repair correlated with lung function, suggesting epithelial barrier integrity may play a role in preterm-associated lung disease.

Survivors of preterm birth (<37 weeks' gestation) have low peak oxygen uptake, a global measure of aerobic fitness and an established predictor of increased morbidity and mortality. However, little is known about other cardiopulmonary outcome measures in this population. We addressed the hypothesis that preterm birth is associated with abnormal respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic responses to exercise, as assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing, via a systematic review and meta-analysis.