Respiratory outcomes for the tiniest or most immature infants.
Extremely low birth weight (<1000 g birth weight) or extremely preterm (<28 weeks of gestation) infants are surviving in greater numbers as neonatal care advances. Many of these survivors, especially those who develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia, have more respiratory ill health in the first years after discharge home, reduced respiratory function and impaired exercise capacity throughout childhood and into adulthood compared with term-born controls. It is important to establish the long-term respiratory outcomes for the tiniest or most immature survivors as they grow older, since they may contribute disproportionately to rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory ill-health in adulthood.
Respiratory Research Group, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Anne-Marie
AM
Gibson
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: lwd@unimelb.edu.au.
Lex W
LW
Doyle
D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature; D007231:Infant, Newborn
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia; Extremely low birth weight; Extremely premature; Infant; Respiratory function tests