Growth and body composition in preterm newborns with bronchopulmonary dysplasia: a cohort study

Objective: To compare growth and body composition of preterm infants (gestational age <32 weeks) with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Methods: A prospective cohort involving three neonatal units in the public health system of the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Inclusion: newborns with gestational age <32 weeks. Exposure: BPD. Anthropometric measurements were performed at birth and at 1 month of infant corrected age. Body composition was measured using an air displacement plethysmography (ADP) (PEA POD (R)) at 1 month of infant corrected age. Results: Ninety-five newborns were eligible, of which 67 were included, 32.8% of them with BPD. Newborns with BPD presented lower gestational age at birth, greater need for resuscitation in the delivery room, received parenteral nutrition (PN) for a longer period of time, achieved lower weights during hospital stay and required more time to reach a full enteral diet. No statistically significant differences were observed in relation to anthropometric measurements and body composition at 1 month of infant corrected age between the groups with and without BPD. Conclusion: This study, unlike previous ones, has shown that children who developed BPD were able to regain growth, as measured by anthropometric measures, with no change in body composition at 1 month of infant corrected age.