The impact of birth weight on the level of lung function and lung function decline in the general adult population. The Inter99 study

Low birth weight was significantly associated with lower adult FEV1 and FVC but not with the decline in these variables during a 5-year observation. Although FEV1/FVC ratio was not related to birth weight, persons with low birth weight experienced a steeper decline on this index. In general, the magnitude of the association between birth weight and adult lung function was modest.