FOLLOW-UP OF SCHOOL-AGE-CHILDREN WITH BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA

Objective: To investigate the outcome of school-age children with bron chopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in terms of nutrition, pulmonary function , and intelligence, and to compare the results with a preterm cohort m atched for gestational age and birth weight, and with a term control g roup. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Follow-up clinic at level III neonatal intensive care unit, university-affiliate hospital, Children' s Hospital. Subjects: Twelve children who had BPD as infants and 2 con trol groups of 12 children each. Main outcome variables: Anthropometri c measurements, dietary intake, resting energy expenditure, pulmonary function, body composition measurements by dual energy x-ray absorptio metry, and Weschler intelligence test scores, Results: Children with B PD had decreased forced expiratory volume at 1 second, decreased force d expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity, and decreased maximal expiratory flow velocity at 50% of vital capacity compared wi th age-matched normal inborn subjects (p = 0.025, p = 0.005, and p = 0 .0013, respectively). Both children with BPD and matched preterm contr ol children were shorter than infants in the term control group (p = 0 .018), There were no significant differences in the other anthropometr ic parameters studied. The groups did not differ in resting energy exp enditure, Lean body mass was lower in the BPD group compared with the term control groups (p = 0.017). Bone mineral content was lower in the BPD group compared with both the preterm and term control infants (p = 0.050 and p = 0.059, respectively). The mean performance intelligenc e quotient (IQ) and full-scale IQ scores in the BPD group were lower t han in the term control group (p = 0.011 and p = 0.029, respectively), The proportion of children with borderline or intellectually deficien t scores was significantly higher in the preterm group compared with t he term group for verbal, performance, and full-scale IQ scales (p = 0 .046, p = 0.018, and p = 0.048 respectively). The proportion of childr en with BPD who had borderline or deficient performance IQ scores was higher than for the term group (p = 0.046).