ABSTRACT
Why does bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) develop in some premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and not in others? Described throughout this volume are the many influences that are responsible for progression, cessation, or resolution of the disease. During the course of BPD, growth, maturation, continuing injury, and repair are simultaneously occurring in the lung. At the same time, other organs affect, and are affected by, the disease status in the lung. For example, high pulmonary vascular resistance leads to hypoxemia that exacerbates the respiratory failure characteristic of BPD, and in severe cases results in cor pulmonale.
