Prevalence and Risk Factors of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Among Very Premature Infants in a Tunisian Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

INTRODUCTION

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) stands as the primary chronic respiratory complication in premature infants, posing a substantial public health concern due to its rising prevalence, potential mortality, and socioeconomic burden.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of BPD in very preterm infants and identify its associated risk factors.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective, descriptive, and analytical study including all premature infants born between 26 and 31 weeks of gestation age (GA) who survived beyond the 28th day of life, over a five-year period (2017-2021). Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of BPD, which was defined by the need for oxygen supplementation for at least 28 days.

RESULTS

we included 231 newborns. The prevalence of BPD was 37.7% among survivors on the 28th day of life and 36.7% among those reaching 36 weeks postmenstrual age. BPD was mild, moderate and severe in 25.2%, 4.9% and 6.6% of cases, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified maternal hypertensive disorders (RR=6.15, 95%CI=[2.27-16.67], p<0.001), chorioamnionitis (RR=4.23, 95%CI=[1.25 -14.27], p=0.02), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (RR =20.4, 95%CI=[3.39 -122.66], p=0.001), GA less than 30 weeks (RR=26.97, 95%CI=[10.23 -71.14], p<0.001), and mechanical ventilation (MV) (RR=5.33, 95%CI=[1.95-14.54], p=0.001) as independent factors associated with BPD occurrence. The mortality rate was 10.3% among patients with BPD versus 0.7% in patients without BPD (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our study revealed a high prevalence of BPD in very preterm infants and identified several independent risk factors such as maternal hypertensive disorders, IUGR, chorioamnionitis, MV, and GA less than 30 weeks.