Neonatal Adaption and Breathing Flashcards
(166 cards)
When is a baby premature?
There are sub-categories of preterm birth, based on gestational age: extremely preterm (less than 28 weeks) very preterm (28 to 32 weeks) moderate to late preterm (32 to 37 weeks)
When does surfactant production start?
24 weeks gestation
What are the different stages of embryonic lung development?
What growth factors are required for lung development?
• Forkhead transcription factors FOXA1/2 (HNF 3β) -proliferation, branching, cell differentiation, regulation SH
• Fibroblast growth factor-10, Sonic Hedgehog, bone
morphogenetic protein 4 – outgrowth of new end buds
• Gli proteins – transcription factors, controlled by SH,
branching
• Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) – angiogenesis
When does alveolar development occur?
24 weeks of gestation
What occurs in alveolar development?
Saccules develop, capillaries develop around each (VEGF)
Most development post term
• Mainly by growth in number
• Adult numbers of alveoli by 4-5 years
Pneumocytes
• Type I and II present at 22 weeks
• From 24 weeks, lamellar bodies present (storage for surfactant)
What are lamellar bodies?
lamellar bodies are secretory organelles found in type II pneumocytes. They are oblong structures and fuse with the cell membrane and release pulmonary surfactant into the extracellular space
What impact does malnutrition (vit A) have on structural pathology of foetal lung?
Malnutrition and Vit A: reduced lung function (PEFR), reduced lung growth
Vit A: reduced septation
What impact does smoking have on foetal lungs?
Smoking – reduces fetal lung volumes. Reduced PEFR Alveoli reduced in number, and increased in size – in animal models due to reduced formation of saccule partitions, hence a reduce surface area for gas exchange.
Extrinsic vs intrinsic restriction
Extrinsic restriction:
- Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)
- Effusions
- Thoracic or vertebral abnormalities
Intrinsic restriction
-Lung cysts (Cystic adenomatoid malformation)
How is structural pathology affected before and after 16 weeks gestation?
Time of onset
< 16 weeks, branching irreversibly affected, potentially permanent reduction in number of alveoli
> 16 weeks, predominantly alveolar numbers
How does the fluid filing foetal lungs change over time?
Increases closer to term
4-6mls/kg mid-gestation -> 20mls/kg at term
Helps with lung growth
Secondary active transport of chloride from interstitium to lumen (passive absorption of sodium and water into lung fluid)
Liquid production allows for positive pressure of 1cmH20
What is lung fluid required for?
Lung fluid required for lung growth, but NOT branching
How does absorption occur in lung fluid?
- active sodium transport in apical membranes
- labour & delivery: adrenaline release -> reduced secretion and resorption begins.
- thyroid hormone and cortisol required for maturation of the fetal lung response to adrenaline
- exposure to postnatal oxygen increases sodium transport across the pulmonary epithelium
What lung liquid pathologies could occur in foetus?
- OLIGOJUDRAMNIOS- too little amniotic fluid, usually due to membrane rupture or kidney abnormalities
- FOETAL BREATHING ABNORMALITIES- due to neuromuscular disorders, CDH (congenital diaphragmatic hernia)
Why are foetal breathing abnormalities bad for lung fluid?
Normally foetal breathing SLOWS liquid loss and maintains expansion, without this more lung liquid would be lost and foetus wouldn’t be able to maintain expansion.
What can result in TTN (transient tachypnoea newborn)?
Delivery without labour- elective caesarean section
What produces surfactant, where is it stored and how does it work?
Produced by type II pneumocytes
• Surfactant phosphatidylcholine (PC) produced in
endoplasmic reticulum
• Stored in lamellar bodies
Degraded in alveoli
• Absorbed and recycled by alveolar cells
• > 90% PC is reprocessed
• Turnover time 10 hours
Negative feedback system to regulate release
• Also stretch receptors
• ß-adrenergic receptors on type 2 cells – increases with
gestation
What does surfactant prevent? How does it do this?
Prevents atelectasis – reduces work to breathe
Achieved by reduced surface tension
• Solid at body temperature – becomes a solid monolayer,
stabilises alveoli
• Laplace equation
• Internal pressure =
2 x Surface tension / radius
What happens to surface tension with an increased radius?
Surface tension reduced
Surfactant cycle
The surfactant cycle involves surfactant being produced by type II pneumocytes and stored in lamellar bodies.
Surfactant is then released into the aqueous hypophase from where it is converted into tubular myelin (intermediate form of surfactant). From this surfactant multilayers and monolayers are formed. Finally an active layer is formed at the air–liquid interface. Once the surfactant has been used a proportion is reabsorbed as liquid vesicles by type II pneumocytes, the rest is taken up by alveolar macrophages and other processes. This pathway is underdeveloped within premature infants
Respiratory distress and surfactant- how are they related?
RDS is the direct consequence of surfactant deficiency. Surfactant has three predominant roles; to increase pulmonary compliance to prevent atelectasis at the end of expiration and to facilitate recruitment of collapsed airways. In addition surfactant has a role in protecting the lungs from injury and infection caused by foreign bodies and pathogens. Surfactant is synthesized and stored in type II pneumocytes from about 22 weeks gestation. Surfactant is present within an intra-alveolar and intracellular pool. Maintaining adequate surfactant pools within the air spaces is crucial for lung function and dependant on the surfactant metabolism cycle. The surfactant pool is less than 10 mg/kg in preterm infants with RDS compared with term infants who have on average 100 mg/kg.
Tubular myelin
As phospholipid bilayer is compressed:
less water exposed, reducing surface tension
prevents further collapse
at 37C surfactant forms tubular myelin
TM is: Highly organized structure
When compressed transforms from gel to liquid crystal phase
–> Surface tension approaches zero