Is severity of respiratory disease associated with differences in neurodevelopmental patterns in preterm infants?

Neurodevelopmental outcomes were assessed at 6, 12, and 24 months of age for preterm infants (PT; n = 169) and full-term infants (FT; n = 120) to determine if neurodevelopmental patterns were related to severity of respiratory diagnosis, especially for infants with chronic lung disease. PT infants' respiratory diagnoses were either acute (transient respiratory distress: n = 55; respiratory distress syndrome: n = 48) or chronic (chronic pulmonary insufficiency of the preterm [CPIP]: n = 30; bronchopulmonary dysplasia [BPD]: n = 36). BPD and CPIP infant groups showed no differences in neurodevelopmental patterns, and both groups displayed poorer development in cognitive, language, daily living, and motor skills and more persistent neurological abnormalities across 24 months than infants with less severe respiratory diagnoses and FT infants.