Predictors of recurrent wheezing in late preterm infants

Premature infants have an increased risk of respiratory morbidity, including the development of recurrent wheezing. We sought to determine perinatal factors in late preterm infants associated with an increased risk of recurrent wheezing in the first 3 years of life.

A retrospective chart review of infants born between 32 and 36 weeks gestational age at a tertiary hospital from 2013 to 2016 was performed. Infants with any co-morbid medical conditions were excluded. Recurrent wheezing was identified by two or more visit diagnoses for reactive airway disease, wheezing-associated respiratory infection, wheezing, or asthma during the first 3 years of life. Those with recurrent wheezing were compared to matched preterm infants who did not develop wheezing.

Three hundred and fourteen late preterm infants were included in this study; 210 infants developed recurrent wheezing while 104 did not. Gender, sex, and race were comparable between both groups. Development of wheezing was associated with positive family history of asthma (p = .014), receiving antibiotics during the neonatal period (p < .001), requiring continuous positive airway pressure for <24 h (p = .019), and receiving supplemental oxygen during the newborn period (p = .023).

This study retrospectively identified risk factors associated with development of wheezing in late preterm infants. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether these factors will predict recurrent wheeze in this patient population.