[Follow up care of the preterm infant]. / Nachsorge des frühgeborenen Kindes.

The birthrate of preterm infants in Switzerland has remained stable over the last few years with 7.3 % of all live births in 2011. Although outcome and survival have significantly improved in the last decades, morbidity and mortality of preterm infants are still challenging the health care system. Important sequelae especially of extreme preterm birth are bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), impaired growth and neurodevelopmental delay. Respiratory problems following discharge are more common among preterm infants and include an increased risk of cough, wheeze and airway hyperresponsiveness leading to a higher re-hospitalization rate in the first year of life compared to term infants. Routine vaccinations should be administered according to the chronological age. For very preterm infants an accelerated vaccination schedule is recommended. Respiratory-Syncytial-Virus (RSV) immunoglobulin is available for infants with moderate and severe BPD. Growth and neurodevelopment of preterm infants should be closely monitored. In the first 24 months of life, interpretation of the findings should take the preterm birth into account and gestational age should be corrected accordingly. Preterm infants are at risk for neurodevelopmental impairment including vision and hearing. Early detection of neurodevelopmental problems and implementation of appropriate interventions can improve outcome.

Respiratory symptoms in preterm infants: burden of disease in the first year of life.

OBJECTIVE: While respiratory symptoms in the first year of life are relatively well described for term infants, data for preterm infants are scarce. We aimed to describe the burden of respiratory disease in a group of preterm infants with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and to assess the association of respiratory symptoms with perinatal, genetic and environmental risk factors. METHODS: Single centre birth cohort study: prospective recording of perinatal risk factors and retrospective assessment of respiratory symptoms during the first year of life by standardised questionnaires. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cough and wheeze (common symptoms), re-hospitalisation and need for inhalation therapy (severe outcomes). PATIENTS: 126 preterms (median gestational age 28.7 weeks; 78 with, 48 without BPD) hospitalised at the University Children's Hospital of Bern, Switzerland 1999-2006. RESULTS: Cough occurred in 80%, wheeze in 44%, re-hospitalisation in 25% and long term inhalation therapy in wheezers in 13% of the preterm infants. Using logistic regression, the main risk factor for common symptoms was frequent contact with other children. Severe outcomes were associated with maximal peak inspiratory pressure, arterial cord blood pH, APGAR- and CRIB-Score. CONCLUSIONS: Cough in preterm infants is as common as in term infants, whereas wheeze, inhalation therapy and re-hospitalisations occur more often. Severe outcomes are associated with perinatal risk factors. Preterm infants who did not qualify for BPD according to latest guidelines also showed a significant burden of respiratory disease in the first year of life.