Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
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Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels

Published on: August 7, 2017

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Dynamics of postnatal upper airway bacteria colonization in preterm infants <1000g and bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Tina Frodermann1, Ulrich Rochwalsky2, Ariane Selting1

  • 1Department of General Pediatrics and Neonatology, Justus-Liebig-University, Feulgenstrasse 12, D-35392, Giessen, Germany.

Scientific Reports
|November 27, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Delayed upper airway colonization with facultative pathogenic bacteria increases the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in premature infants. This risk factor is particularly relevant for infants weighing 800g or more at birth.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatalogy
  • Microbiology
  • Pediatric Pulmonology

Background:

  • Aberrant microbial colonization in premature infants is linked to severe acute morbidities.
  • Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a significant complication in preterm infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the correlation between bacterial upper airway colonization in the first 6 weeks of life and the risk of moderate/severe BPD in preterm infants weighing less than 1000g.
  • To identify specific bacterial colonization patterns associated with BPD development.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective two-center cohort study analyzing postnatal upper airway bacterial colonization.
  • Categorization of bacteria into facultative and highly pathogenic.
  • Classification tree analyses to determine risk factors for BPD.

Main Results:

  • Birth weight <800g was a key discriminator for BPD risk.
  • Factors associated with BPD included center, male sex, antibiotic therapy duration, and delayed facultative pathogenic bacteria detection after week 4.
  • For infants <800g, antibiotic therapy was more critical; for infants ≥800g, delayed facultative bacterial colonization was more relevant than antibiotic exposure.

Conclusions:

  • Delayed upper airway colonization with facultative pathogenic bacteria is identified as a risk factor for BPD.
  • Microbial colonization variations must be considered in future BPD pathogenesis studies and treatment development.

Keywords:
Bacterial colonizationBronchopulmonary dysplasiaFacultative pathogenic bacteriaHighly pathogenic bacteriaLungPreterm infantRiskUpper airway

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