INCIDENCE AND PREDICTION OF BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA IN A COHORT OFPREMATURE-INFANTS

A prospective study on the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BP D) in premature infants is reported. A cohort of premature infants wit h gestational ages less than or equal to 32 weeks, treated during 1989 , was followed for one year. Of a total study population of 117 infant s, 23 (19.6%) developed BPD, defined as oxygen dependence at 28 postna tal days. However, only 15 infants (12.8%) needed supplementary oxygen at the age of 36 gestational weeks and 5 infants (4.2%) needed supple mentary oxygen periodically at one year of age. BPD was found to accou nt for a significant part of both the total and late mortality in the cohort. Measurements of pulmonary mechanics were performed at 3+/-1 an d 12(13)+/-1 days of life in a subgroup of 26 infants with RDS who req uired assisted ventilation for 4 days or longer. No significant differ ence in lung compliance or resistance could be found during the first examination between infants who later devleoped BPD and infants with R DS only. At the second examination, infants who later developed BPD ha d significantly lower lung compliance (0.48+/-0.23 ml/cmH(2)O) than in fants in the RDS group (1.50+/-0.72 ml/cmH(2)O) (p<0.001). Measurement s of pulmonary mechanics could be of importance for early prediction o f infants at risk of BPD.