RECURRENT WHEEZING IN VERY PRETERM INFANTS

Aims-To document the prevalence of, and identify risk factors for, rec urrent wheezing treated with bronchodilators in the first year of life . Methods-Parental history and neonatal data were collected prospectiv ely in a regional cohort of very preterm infants (< 33 weeks). Data on maternal smoking, siblings at home, breast feeding, respiratory sympt oms, and hospital re-admissions were documented at 12 months. Results- Outcome data were available for 525/560 (95%) of survivors. The incide nce of recurrent wheeze was 76/525 (14.5%) in very preterm infants and 20/657 (3%) in a cohort of term newborns. Significant risk factors fo r recurrent wheeze in very preterm infants were parental history of as thma, maternal smoking, siblings at home, neonatal oxygen supplementat ion at 28 days, 36, and 40 weeks of gestation. Conclusions-Wheezing re spiratory illnesses are common in very preterm infants. The factors in volved are similar to those in more mature infants, with the addition of immaturity and neonatal lung injury.