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Asthma in Premature Babies a Cause for Worry?

| February 8, 2015 Comment

Asthma in Premature Babies a Cause for Worry? Premature babies are more likely to have lung and breathing problems such as asthma and bronchopulmonarydysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease that causes lungs to grow abnormally. Until now, many thought that asthma-like breathing problems persist throughout life in those born with the problem; a new study shows that that is not the case.

Danish researchers, led Dr. Anne Louise Damgaard, at the University of Copenhagen, looked at birth and healthcare data on 1.8 million people born from 1980 to 2009, and found that 27% of premature babies (born before 27 weeks), required asthma medication compared with only 9% of those born full-term.

After controlling for factors like socioeconomic status, maternal asthma etc., many showed they were outgrowing asthma by adolescence, and by adulthood, only 2.4% of those preemies required asthma medication, compared to 2.1 in full-term babies – a difference that is not statistically significant.

Researchers say that in their study, preemies born with asthma seemed to do well up to the age of 31. More research is needed to see if this would change as they get older.

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