Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes in Preterm Infants with Pulmonary Hypertension.

BACKGROUND:Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a significant cause of morbidity in preterm infants, but no screening guidelines exist. We sought to identify risk factors and clinical outcomes associated with PH in preterm infants to develop a PH risk score. METHODS:Retrospective analysis of two separate populations of preterm infants (NICU cohort n = 230; Clinic registry n = 580). RESULTS:8.3% of the NICU cohort had PH after 4 weeks of age, while 14.8% of the clinic registry had PH after 2 months of age. Lower birth weights and longer initial hospitalizations were associated with PH in both populations (p