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Measuring respiratory outcome
1Dept of Child Health, King's College Hospital, London, UK. anne.greenough@kcl.ac.uk
Insights
Very premature infants often develop chronic lung disease (CLD), leading to frequent hospitalizations, especially during respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) seasons. These respiratory issues persist into adolescence, highlighting the need for preventative strategies.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Chronic respiratory morbidity is a significant consequence of very premature birth.
- Infants requiring chronic oxygen with abnormal chest radiographs are diagnosed with chronic lung disease (CLD), with severe cases termed bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
- CLD is linked to increased hospital readmissions during infancy, particularly during respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term respiratory outcomes in infants born very prematurely and diagnosed with chronic lung disease (CLD).
- To understand the association between prematurity, CLD, and respiratory symptoms throughout childhood and adolescence.
- To emphasize the urgent need for research into effective preventative strategies for CLD and its sequelae.
Main Methods:
- Observational study analyzing long-term respiratory health in very premature infants.
- Assessment of chronic lung disease (CLD) based on oxygen dependency and chest radiograph findings.
- Tracking of respiratory symptoms, hospital readmissions, and lung function from infancy through adolescence.
Main Results:
- Infants with CLD experience recurrent respiratory symptoms and lung function abnormalities in preschool years.
- These respiratory problems persist into adolescence for individuals who were chronically oxygen dependent after premature birth.
- Hospital readmissions are common in infancy, especially during RSV epidemic periods.
Conclusions:
- Very premature birth significantly increases the risk of chronic respiratory morbidity, including CLD and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
- The respiratory complications associated with CLD have a long-lasting impact, extending into adolescence.
- Effective preventative strategies for chronic lung disease in premature infants are critically needed.
Abstract:
Chronic respiratory morbidity is a common outcome of very premature birth. Infants who are chronically oxygen dependent with an abnormal chest radiograph are described as suffering from chronic lung disease (CLD), and those with the worst abnormalities diagnosed as having bronchopulmonary dysplasia. CLD infants are very likely to be readmitted to hospital during infancy, particularly during a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemic. Very low birthweight, prematurity and CLD are associated with recurrent respiratory symptoms and lung function abnormalities during the preschool years. These problems are detected even in adolescents who were chronically oxygen dependent after premature birth. Further research to identify effective preventative strategies is urgently required.