INCIDENCE OF BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA DURING AN 11-YEAR PERIOD IN INFANTS WEIGHING LESS-THAN 1500-G AT BIRTH

We studied the occurrence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) during a n 11-year period in infants weighing less than 1500 g at birth and loo ked for differences between the periods 1980-1985 (216 infants) and 19 86-1990 (217 infants). During the neonatal period, 91 infants died, wh ich gives a neonatal survival rate of 79 %. Forty-nine infants develop ed BPD, which is 11 % of all infants and 14 % of the infants surviving the neonatal period. The incidence of BPD did not change during the t wo study periods (11.6 % and 11.1 %). On the other hand, the study pop ulations changed in many respects. The number of infants with a birth weight of less than 1000 g increased, the incidence of severe RDS incr eased, and infant mortality decreased. Hence, there was a small decrea se in the incidence of BPD in infants surviving the neonatal period fr om 14.9 % to 13.8 %. Severe RDS and a birth weight of less than 1000 g were clearly related to the development of BPD. In these two risk-gro ups the decrease in the incidence of BPD in neonatal survivors was pro nounced.