Early pulmonary hypertension is a risk factor for bronchopulmonary dysplasia-associated late pulmonary hypertension in extremely preterm infants

Sci Rep. 2021 May 27;11(1):11206. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-90769-4.

Abstract

This study evaluated whether early pulmonary hypertension (PH) in extremely preterm infants (EPIs) at 22-27 weeks of gestation detected clinically with echocardiography at 4-7 postnatal days (PND) is a risk factor for death before 36 weeks post-menstrual age (PMA) or late PH in moderate or severe (m/s) bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (BPD-PH). We analyzed risk factors for death before 36 weeks PMA or BPD-PH. Among 247 EPIs enrolled, 74 (30.0%) had early PH. Twenty-one (28.4%) infants with early PH and 18 (10.4%) without early PH died before 36 weeks PMA; 14 (18.9%) infants with early PH and 9 (5.2%) without early PH had BPD-PH at 36-38 weeks PMA. Multivariate analysis revealed that early PH (adjusted odds ratio, 6.55; 95% confidence interval, 3.10-13.82, P < 0.05), clinical chorioamnionitis (2.50; 1.18-5.31), intraventricular hemorrhage (grade 3-4) (3.43; 1.26-9.37), and late sepsis (6.76; 3.20-14.28) independently increased the risk of development of death before 36 weeks PMA or BPD-PH. Subgroup analysis among m/s BPD patients revealed that early PH (4.50; 1.61-12.58) and prolonged invasive ventilator care (> 28 days) (4.91; 1.02-23.68) increased the risk for late PH independently. In conclusion, EPIs with early PH at 4-7 PND should be monitored for BPD-associated late PH development.

MeSH terms

  • Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / diagnostic imaging
  • Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / etiology*
  • Echocardiography
  • Female
  • Gestational Age
  • Humans
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / complications*
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / diagnostic imaging
  • Infant
  • Infant, Extremely Premature
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Risk Factors