Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Risk of Developmental Delay: An EPIPAGE-2 Cohort Study.

Background: Overall and respiratory management of preterm children are constantly evolving, which might have changed both the pathophysiology and neurodevelopmental consequences of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine whether the previously shown association between BPD and risk of developmental delay persists.
Methods: The study population was children born before 32 weeks' gestation from the French prospective cohort EPIPAGE-2. The exposure was BPD assessed at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age. The main outcome was risk of developmental delay defined by an Age & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) score below threshold at 24 months' corrected age.
Results: The analyzed population included 2,706 children. Among those with available ASQ score, 196/1,587 had BPD and 671/1,587 had an ASQ score below threshold. BPD was associated with an ASQ score below threshold (odds ratio 1.52, 95% confidence interval 1.11-2.08; p = 0.008).
Conclusions: BPD was strongly associated with risk of developmental delay.
(© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)