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.