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Published on: October 31, 2025

Uncovering Hidden Phenotypes of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: A Latent Class Analysis of Preterm Infants in a

Andrea Parra-Buitrago1,2, Andrea Jaramillo-Cerezo1, Jefferson Antonio Buendía3

  • 1Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Colombia.

Pediatric Pulmonology
|July 8, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Latent class analysis identified three distinct bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) phenotypes in preterm infants, revealing increasing respiratory severity and mortality. This data-driven approach aids in understanding BPD heterogeneity for improved neonatal care.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Respiratory Physiology
  • Data Science in Healthcare

Background:

  • Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a complex lung disease in preterm infants.
  • Existing BPD classifications may not fully capture its heterogeneous nature.
  • Understanding distinct respiratory trajectories is crucial for predicting outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify data-driven subgroups (phenotypes) of in-hospital respiratory trajectories in preterm infants (≤32 weeks).
  • To compare these novel phenotypes with traditional BPD severity classifications.
  • To assess the predictive value of these subgroups for in-hospital mortality.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study of 236 preterm infants (≤32 weeks) admitted to a tertiary neonatal unit.
  • Latent class analysis (LCA) applied to clinical and respiratory variables.
  • Exclusion of infants with major malformations or genetic syndromes.

Main Results:

  • A three-class model best characterized respiratory trajectories (AIC=12,002; BIC=12,440; entropy=0.83).
  • Class 1 (64%): Mild disease, 5% mortality. Class 2 (27%): Intermediate, prolonged oxygen. Class 3 (9%): Severe failure, 88% mortality.
  • Classes demonstrated a clear gradient of respiratory severity and mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Latent class analysis identified three distinct BPD phenotypes with escalating respiratory severity and mortality.
  • These phenotypes align with biological injury models (parenchymal, interstitial, vascular).
  • Data-driven phenotyping offers a foundation for precision neonatal care in BPD.
Abstract

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