Early life risks to your child's lungs

Babies’ and children’s lungs and immune systems are still developing and growing. This means they’re more at risk of being seriously ill if they get a lung infection, like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), than adults.

Being exposed to lung health risks during early childhood, like passive smoking and air pollution, can affect how well children’s lungs grow and work later in life.

Find out more about lung conditions in children, including asthma and preschool wheeze.

Sometimes, genetics can increase the risk of developing certain lung conditions. This means it’s possible for the risk to be passed on through family members. Because of this, healthcare professionals might ask if you have a family history of lung conditions when you’re pregnant or your child is young.

It can be difficult to tell the cause of a lung condition.

Most lung conditions, like asthma, are caused by a mixture of genes and lots of other things, like air pollution or smoking.

Some lung conditions, like cystic fibrosis, are caused by a specific change on a gene.

The European Lung Foundation has more information about how genetics can affect our lungs.

Some things can put your baby’s lungs at risk when you’re pregnant, for example:

• smoking. Find out more about smoking during pregnancy, including how to protect your child’s lungs from passive smoking.
• air pollution. This includes air pollution outside and inside your home. Find out more about how air pollution affects children’s lungs.

Eat well when you're pregnant

It’s important to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet when you’re pregnant. This will help your baby’s lungs and immune system to grow properly and lower their risk of getting ill after they’re born.

Some research also suggests that eating well during pregnancy can reduce the risk of the baby being born prematurely.

The NHS has help for eating healthy during pregnancy. 

We have information on eating well when you have a lung condition.

Pregnancy usually lasts around 40 weeks. Babies born before 37 weeks are considered to be premature.

The risk of having lung problems is not the same for all premature babies. The earlier a baby is born, the more likely they are to have lung problems. This is because their lungs are smaller and less developed compared to babies born at 40 weeks.

Babies born before 37 weeks have a higher risk of:

• being born with breathing problems like newborn respiratory distress syndrome
• being born with a low birth weight
• developing a lung condition called bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

We do not always know why a baby is born early, but mothers who are exposed to tobacco smoke and air pollution are at more risk of having a premature baby.

Talk to a healthcare professional if you have any worries or questions.

Do premature babies have lung problems later in life?

Not all premature babies will have lung problems. Your baby’s lung health will also be impacted by other things like their genes, and being exposed to risks like passive smoking and air pollution during pregnancy and when they’re growing up.

In the UK, most premature babies born around 32 to 37 weeks grow up to be healthy children.

But the earlier a baby is born, the more likely they are to have lung problems when they grow up, such as:

• serious symptoms if they get a lung infections like pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or bronchiolitis
• their lungs not working as well
• lung conditions later in life, like asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

How can a low birth weight affect my child’s lung health?

Researchers are not sure how a low birth weight (LBW) can affect children’s lung health yet.

If your baby is born with a LBW, this means that they weigh less than 2.5kg, or 6lb 8 oz. This is more likely to happen if your baby is born prematurely.

Research in this area is still happening. Some research shows that babies with a LBW might be more likely to have lungs that do not work well when they grow up, or experience a noisy chest (wheeze), asthma, COPD, and lung infections later in life. 

But it’s hard to know if LBW can directly lead to these lung problems, or if other factors like being born prematurely or smoking during pregnancy can cause LBW and breathing problems as a child grows up.

It’s important to know that not every baby born prematurely or with a LBW will have problems.

If you’re pregnant, the best thing you can do for your health is to not smoke, avoid air pollution as much as possible, and eat well.

Find support if your baby is born prematurely

• The charity Tommy’s has more information about premature labour and birth, including how being born early can affect your baby.
• The charity Bliss supports parents and families of babies born prematurely or ill.

There are lots of things that can affect children’s lung health. Some of these are out of our control, for example our genes. But there are ways you can protect your child’s lungs while they continue to grow.

Children learn by example, so being a good role model by having healthy habits will help your child to be healthy too.

Avoiding smoking and air pollution can also lower the risk of your child having a lung condition.

Help your child to eat well

Children who are a healthy weight and have a healthy lifestyle are less likely to have lung problems later in life.

Your child’s diet can affect how well their lungs develop and work. Eating a balanced diet is also important for your child’s overall physical and mental health.

• Being underweight can make your child more likely to get lung infections or develop lung conditions like asthma and COPD later in life.
• Being overweight or eating an unhealthy diet can make children more likely to develop lung conditions like asthma and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). This is because being overweight can damage your child’s lungs and airways.

You can help your child get the right amount of nutrients from their diet so that they stay a healthy weight.

The British Nutrition Foundation has more information about how to help children have a healthy diet, including examples of what foods to eat.

Speak to a healthcare professional if you’re worried about your child’s weight. 

Help your child to keep active

Keeping active and doing regular exercise is good for your child’s lungs and overall health. Research shows that active children are more likely to have lungs that work well when they grow up.

You can help your child to keep active by:

• making exercise a part of daily life by walking or cycling to school.
• understanding how much activity is right for your child. The NHS exercise guidelines say that children under five who can walk should be active for at least three hours a day and children aged 5 to18 should do 1 hour of moderate to vigorous activity a day.
• leading by example. If your child sees you enjoying being active, they’re more likely to be active as well.

If your child has a lung condition, it’s still important for them to keep active. We have more information on helping your child stay active if they have asthma.

The NHS has more advice on how to help your child to stay healthy as they grow, including having a balanced diet and getting active.

When should I speak to a healthcare professional about my child’s lung health?

You could speak to a doctor if:

• your child has a lung condition and they’re finding it difficult to stay a healthy weight, or their symptoms are getting worse, or they’ve got a lung infection
• you have a lung condition, and your child is starting to have symptoms
• your child is having breathing problems. Find out more about breathing problems in children, including when to see a healthcare professional.

We have advice to help you get a GP appointment.