Abstract:

Objective To investigate if preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) had lung function abnormalities. Methods Children were collected from neonatal intensive care units ( NICU ) in Children's Hospital of Fudan University, from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013. All babies with gestational age ≤ 32 weeks, birth weight ≤ 1 500 g were included in this study. In the same period, the same size sample of non BPD was collected as control group. Lung function were assessed by body plethysmography when premature infants were at 1 and 2 years corrected ages, lung function was analyzed in preterm infants with BPD or severe BPD at 1 and 2 corrected age. Results There were 149 cases in BPD group and mached 149 infants without BPD in control group. There were 37 cases(mild/moderate group 22 cases, severe group 12 cases ) in 1 year corrected age group and 25 cases(mild/moderate group 15 cases, severe group 10 cases ) in 2 year corrected age group in preterm infants with BPD ,while there were 33 cases , 10 cases in 1 and 2 years corrected age in preterm infants without BPD . In the first and second year of life: Compared with the control group, preterm-born children with BPD had significantly lower values of FRCp/kg( Plethysmographic functional residual capacity per kilogram), TPTEF/TE( Ratio of time to peak tidal expiratory flow to total expiratory time), VPTEF/VE( ratio of volume to peak tidal expiratory flow to total expiratory volume), TEF25(Expiratory flow at 25% tidal volume)and higher values of Reff/kg(effective airway resistance per kilogram). In the first year of life: Compared with the mild/moderate BPD group, severe BPD group had significantly lower values of FRCp/kg , TPTEF/TE and higher values of Reff/kg. In the second year of life: Compared with the mild/moderate BPD group, severe BPD group had significantly lower values of VPTEF/VE and higher values of Reff/kg. Conclusion In the present study BPD predicted the lung volume, and was associated with airway resistance in preterm-born infancy, while in severe BPD group they were obvious.