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Published on: August 7, 2017

Predictors of wheezing in prematurely born children

Diane Holditch-Davis1, Piper Merrill, Todd Schwartz

  • 1School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA. diane.hd@duke.edu

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing : JOGNN
|May 30, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Postneonatal health issues and the home environment are key factors in wheezing development in preterm infants. These factors are more influential than initial neonatal complications for developing wheezing.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neonatology
  • Respiratory Medicine

Background:

  • Wheezing is a common respiratory symptom in infants, particularly those born prematurely.
  • Understanding the developmental trajectory of wheezing in preterm infants is crucial for early intervention and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between neonatal illness severity, postneonatal health, child characteristics, parenting quality (HOME Inventory), and maternal factors with wheezing development in preterm infants up to 27 months corrected age.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal predictive study design was employed.
  • One hundred thirteen preterm infants (birth weight <1500g or mechanical ventilation) and their mothers were recruited from two NICUs.
  • Wheezing was assessed via maternal report at multiple time points (2-27 months); medically significant wheezing was defined by medication use.

Main Results:

  • Sixty-eight percent of preterm infants experienced wheezing at some point during the first 27 months.
  • Medically significant wheezing, indicated by bronchodilator or anti-inflammatory medication use, was observed in 47% of the cohort.
  • Postneonatal health problems and the social environment (HOME Inventory) showed a stronger association with wheezing than neonatal medical severity.

Conclusions:

  • Postneonatal health problems significantly contribute to wheezing development in preterm infants.
  • The social environment, as measured by the HOME Inventory, plays a critical role in the onset and persistence of wheezing.
  • Neonatal medical complications appear less predictive of long-term wheezing compared to postneonatal factors.
Abstract

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