ABSTRACT
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), the most common respiratory disease in infants, is a devastating disease in the developmental program of the immature lung, secondary to preterm birth (1). The incidence of BPD in infants with birth weights of <1000 g is 43% (2). The incidence of preterm birth, specifically of low birth weight (LBW) infants, has increased by 11% from 1994 to 2004 and is expected to continue to rise, leading one to anticipate an increase in the burden of BPD. Babies of <1500 g birth weight [very low birth weight (VLBW)] infants comprise ~10 to 15 per 1000 live births; their survival rates now exceed 80% (3,4). BPD has been described in ~40% of VLBW survivors, and the rate rises as the birth weight falls. The prevalence of VLBW survivors with BPD reaching adulthood is approaching 3 to 4 per 1000, a prevalence greater than that for many childhood diseases known to affect the respiratory system, such as cystic fibrosis (4). There is currently no specific or effective prevention or treatment of this condition. BPD can no longer be considered a pediatric disease, as it has far-reaching consequences into adolescence and adulthood (1).
