Diaphragm dimensions of the healthy term infant

Abstract

It is concluded that diaphragm mass in healthy term infants is proportional to body size, whereas calcuated P(dimax) is independent of body size. Since calculated P(dimax) is greater than that predicted for adults, there may be perinatal diaphragm strengthening. This may assist the infant in generating sufficient pressure to overcome the enormous elastic and resistive loads imposed during perinatal pulmonary transition.