1 Introduction
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is one of the main morbidities in
premature infants 1,2. Its multifactorial etiology
includes genetic predisposition associated with environmental and
behavioral factors 3.
Early interventions may decrease the risk of BPD 4,
with corticosteroids being the most studied medication for preventing
the disease 5,6. However, the risks and benefits of
their use must be better investigated due to side effects7.
Doyle et al. observed in 2005 and 2014 that administering
corticoids in patients with an estimated risk > 60% of
developing moderate and severe BPD showed higher benefits in preventing
cerebral palsy development 8,9.
In 2011, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD) published a BPD risk prediction tool (https://neonatal.rti.org/)
capable of estimating individual risks of BPD or death10. Since then, this instrument has proved
particularly useful in selecting patients for corticoid use. However,
this equation was developed in a North American population.
The prediction of BPD should be based on the characteristics of the
served population, with the translational aspect of predictive equations
developed in different realities needing to be more questionable11.
This study aimed to build a predictive equation for BPD in premature
patients born at our institution, comparing the risks determined by it
with the predictive values of the foreign instrument currently used in
our service. The elaboration of a specific instrument will allow the
proper identification of local candidates to prevent moderate and severe
forms of the disease using postnatal corticoids, improving the treatment
effectiveness.