Bronchopulmonary dysplasia and expiratory airflow at 8 years in children born extremely preterm in the post-surfactant era

Long-term pulmonary outcomes in BPD throughout the life-course

Respiratory disease is one of the most common complications of preterm birth. Survivors of prematurity have increased risks of morbidities and mortalities independent of prematurity, and frequently require multiple medications, home respiratory support, and subspecialty care to maintain health. Although advances in neonatal and pulmonary care have improved overall survival, earlier gestational age, lower birth weight, chorioamnionitis and late onset sepsis continue to be major factors in the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. These early life events associated with prematurity can have respiratory consequences that persist into adulthood. Furthermore, after initial hospital discharge, air pollution, respiratory tract infections and socioeconomic status may modify lung growth trajectories and influence respiratory outcomes in later life. Given that the incidence of respiratory disease associated with prematurity remains stable or increased, there is a need for pediatric and adult providers to be familiar with the natural history, manifestations, and common complications of disease.

Relationships of Severity of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia with Adverse Neurodevelopmental Outcomes and Poor respiratory Function at 7-8 Years of Age

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the relationships of three definitions of severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) with adverse neurodevelopmental and respiratory outcomes at early school-age.

STUDY DESIGN

Participants comprised 218 consecutive survivors to 7-8 years of age born either <28 weeks' gestation or weighing <1000 g in Victoria, Australia, in 2005. BPD was classified as none, Grade 1 (mild), Grade 2 (moderate), or Grade 3 (severe), using two commonly accepted definitions: 1) Jobe2001, and 2) Higgins2018, and our own 3) VICS2005, adapted from Jensen2019. Outcomes included major neurodevelopmental disability, low intelligence quotient and academic achievement, poor motor function, and poor respiratory function as assessed by spirometry. Outcomes for children with each grade of BPD were compared with children with no BPD.

RESULTS

Of the 218 survivors, 132 (61%) had BPD on Jobe2001 criteria, and 113 (52%) had BPD on both Higgins2018 and VICS2005 criteria. Grade 1 on any criteria was not associated with any adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Grade 1 on both Higgins2018 and VICS2005 was associated with reduced spirometry. Grade 2 on both Higgins2018 and VICS2005, and Grade 3 on all criteria were associated with increased risk for both adverse neurodevelopmental and respiratory outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with no BPD, receiving additional oxygen up to 29% but no positive pressure support at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age increased the risk of abnormal respiratory function but not adverse neurodevelopment. Receiving ≥30% oxygen or any positive pressure support at 36 weeks increased the risk of both adverse outcomes.

Pseudorandom Noise Forced Oscillation Technique to Assess Lung Function in Prematurely Born Children

The forced oscillation technique (FOT) is a non-volitional assessment that is used during tidal breathing. A variant of FOT uses a pseudorandom noise (PRN) signal which we postulated might have utility in assessing lung function in prematurely born children. We, therefore, undertook a systematic review to evaluate the evidence regarding PRN FOT. A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted by using the following databases: Medline, Embase, Web of Science and CINAHL. Observational studies, case series/reports and randomized-controlled trials were eligible for inclusion. Article abstracts and full texts were screened independently by two reviewers, with disagreements resolved by discussion or a third reviewer if necessary. Five studies were included (n = 587 preterm children). Three compared PRN FOT with spirometry, and two compare it to the interrupter technique. Most studies failed to report comprehensive methodology of the frequency spectra used to generate the PRN signal. There was evidence that poorer lung function, as assessed by PRN FOT, was associated with a greater burden of respiratory symptoms, but there was insufficient evidence to determine whether PRN FOT performed better than other lung-function tests. Detailed methodological documentation, in accordance with ERS guidance, is needed to assess the benefits of PRN FOT prior to routine clinical incorporation to assess prematurely born children.