title: Respiratory illness in late preterm infants during the first six months of life.
abstract: Late preterm infants are physiologically immature and at risk for respiratory complications. The study's objective was to determine the incidence of respiratory illnesses in a group of preterm infants (33-35 weeks) during the first six months of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents were contacted by phone in the six months period after participating in an educational program and a short survey was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the infants required admission to the intensive care unit in the newborn period. According to parents, 71% of the babies had a common cold, 9% bronchiolitis, and 3% pneumonia. Fifty four percent of the babies visited the emergency room due to respiratory illnesses and (12%) required admission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Late preterm infants present respiratory illnesses during the first months of life which result in medical expenditures, emergency room visits, and hospital admissions. Educational interventions about preventive measures are needed to decrease the morbidity associated to these illnesses.
authors.affiliation: UPR Rio Piedras and Medical Science Campus, UPR School of Medicine, Puerto Rico Health Health Science Center, San Juan.
authors.forename: Leilanie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Zahira
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Corchado
authors.forename: Mariela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Dora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Lizaida
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: Arian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vicens
authors.forename: Nerian
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garcĺa
authors.forename: Yasmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pedrogo
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*