Respiratory morbidity, atopy and asthma at school age in preterm infants aged 32 –35 weeks

Conclusion: PTIs had a higher prevalence of bronchiolitis, recurrent wheezing and asthma; risk factors for asthma are the following: older siblings, allergic father, atopic dermatitis and antibiotic treatment in the first 3  years of life and prematurity itself, which also acted as protective factor for atopic dermatitis.What is known:• In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in the birth of premature babies and consequently, also in the pathologies secondary to the prematurity: a greater number of complications and disorders related to the development and maturation of many organs and systems, especially the respiratory system. Several studies, especially in full-term infants and very preterm infants, have tried to elucidate the risk factors that may influence the development of persistent or chronic respiratory problems such asasthma, but little is known about the aetiology of these disorders in the late or moderate preterm infants. Inthis group of children, the role played by certain factors (early use of antibiotics, chorioamnionitis, smokeexposure, paternal asthma, etc.) on late respiratory morbidity, or asthma, is inconclusive.• Moderate-to-late preterm infants are more predisposed to developing recurrent wheezing/asthma and should adopt control measures.What is new:• Our work provides data related to little-understood aspects of respiratory diseases in this group of late or moderate preterm infants (gestational age between 32 weeks plus 1 day an...
Source: European Journal of Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Source Type: research