LAUSR

BACKGROUND There have been few research studies aimed at obtaining a better understanding of the prediction of subsequent respiratory morbidity at follow-up in infants with a previous history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The aim of the present study was to identify predictors of hospitalization for acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) in a population of infants with a history of BPD living in a LMIC. METHODS In a prospective cohort study, we determined independent predictors of the number of hospitalizations for ALRIs during the first two years of life in a population of infants with a history of BPD living in Bogota, Colombia. In multivariate analyses, we included both clinico-demographic variables and underlying disease characteristics as predictor variables of hospitalization for ALRIs. RESULTS Of a total of 138 patients included in the study, 83 (60.1%) had at least one hospitalization for ALRI during the follow-up period. Independent predictors of the number of hospitalizations for ALRIs included duration of neonatal ventilatory support (IRR 1.02; CI 95% 1.00-1.03; p = 0.010), duration of subsequent ambulatory oxygen therapy (IRR 2.06; CI 95% 1.16-3.64; p = 0.013), and breastfeeding in females (IRR 0.35; CI 95% 0.14-0.84; p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS Duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of subsequent ambulatory oxygen therapy, and breastfeeding in females were independently associated with the number of hospitalizations for ALRIs in our population of infants with a history of BPD.