Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia News and Research

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Two early-life findings stood out in children who later screened positive for autism risk

Children born very preterm were more likely than term-born children to screen positive for autism risk at age 5 using the Social Communication Questionnaire. Among very preterm children, cerebellar abnormalities at term-equivalent age and moderate-to-severe histologic chorioamnionitis were independently associated with higher autism screening risk, alongside male sex and higher social risk.

13 Aug 2026

Korean study finds no overall childhood cancer link with maternal diabetes

Researchers followed 549,851 Korean children and found no statistically significant association between maternal diabetes and overall childhood cancer. The analysis linked maternal diabetes to an 81% higher relative risk of urinary tract cancer, but the absolute difference was only 37 additional cases per 100,000 offspring.

4 Aug 2026

Breast milk nutrient boosts long-term immune system development

Trans-vaccenic acid (TVA), the most abundant trans fatty acid found in human breast milk, helps boost immune system development and has long-lasting effects on immune system health in mice, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Chicago.

18 Jun 2026

Early hydrocortisone treatment improves survival for extremely premature babies

Early hydrocortisone treatment of extremely premature babies increases their chances of survival without lung disease, according to a study led by Linköping University. The study also shows that the treatment is safe to give.

19 Feb 2026

AI predicts health outcomes for premature newborns from blood samples

An artificial intelligence-based tool can predict the medical trajectories of individual premature newborns from blood samples collected soon after they are born, a Stanford Medicine-led study has shown.

21 Jan 2026

Study finds no safety or efficacy gap between paracetamol and ibuprofen for neonatal PDA

In a UK pilot randomized trial, intravenous paracetamol and ibuprofen showed no statistically significant differences in short-term efficacy or safety when used as rescue therapy for hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus in very preterm infants. The study demonstrated high feasibility but was not powered to determine clinical superiority or equivalence between treatments.

21 Jan 2026

Early lean mass shapes long-term brain development in preterm infants

Extremely preterm infants with higher fat-free mass at term-equivalent age show better cognitive, language, and motor outcomes through age three. Early lean-tissue growth offers stronger neurodevelopmental insight than traditional growth measures.

12 Nov 2025

Study reveals the success of spinal anesthesia for preterm infants undergoing inguinal hernia surgery

Every year, more than 13 million babies are born prematurely worldwide, and up to one-third of them require surgical repair of inguinal hernias—a procedure that, under general anesthesia, carries significant postoperative risks such as apnea, bradycardia, and desaturation.

24 Oct 2025

Holder vs Retort: How milk pasteurization shapes preterm infants’ gut health

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that pasteurization methods shape the gut microbiomes of preterm infants fed donor human milk. Holder pasteurization preserved microbial diversity and beneficial taxa better than Retort, producing microbiomes more similar to those from mothers’ own milk.

17 Sep 2025

Early signs of breastfeeding failures after premature birth

A study on breastfeeding after premature birth identifies key factors affecting milk composition and volume, emphasizing the need for early support for mothers.

10 Jun 2025

Ciliary dynamics may play a role in the pathophysiology of bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Premature infants are at risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD, a type of lung injury associated with increased mortality.

19 May 2025

Wearable X-ray technology makes respiratory scans more comfortable for young children

Light conversion technology developed by University of Queensland researchers will be used for wearable X-ray devices that make respiratory scans more comfortable for young children.

6 May 2025

Feeding strategies in preterm infants do not alter brain growth or cognition

Early nutrition in very preterm infants does not significantly impact brain growth or neurodevelopment when following standardized clinical guidelines, despite initial unadjusted associations.

5 Mar 2025

Surprising study reveals dads’ weight and diet don’t impact baby’s size

A study shows paternal health factors like BMI and diet do not influence birth weight or length, emphasizing maternal diet's critical role in pregnancy.

4 Mar 2025

Scientists aim to regenerate lungs for premature infants with BPD

Understanding resilience - the ability of injured lung tissue to heal and regenerate - may be key to advancing the treatment and prevention of life-threatening lung disease that occurs in extremely premature babies, a new study suggests.

25 Feb 2025

New insights into respiratory syncytial virus and prevention strategies

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory infections, particularly in infants, children under 5 years, and older adults. Its rapid spread makes RSV a serious public health concern. Currently, there are no effective medications for RSV, and current treatment focuses on providing supportive care and preventing its spread.

20 Dec 2024

Using impulse oscillometry for lung function testing in preterm children

Infants born preterm remain vulnerable to numerous health complications, such as respiratory distress syndrome, chronic lung disease, and pulmonary dysfunction.

19 Dec 2024

ANNs can identify lung disease in preterm infants by analyzing sleep breathing patterns

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) can be trained to detect lung disease in premature babies by analyzing their breathing patterns while they sleep, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Vienna, Austria.

9 Sep 2024

Increased skin-to-skin time linked to better neurodevelopment

Skin-to-skin cuddling with a parent has lasting cognitive benefits for premature babies, according to a new Stanford Medicine study. Preemies who received more skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care, while hospitalized as newborns were less likely to be developmentally delayed at 1 year of age, the study found.

8 Aug 2024

Novel blood test could predict chronic lung disease in preterm babies within hours of birth

A blood test can help predict which preterm babies will go onto develop chronic lung disease, allowing for earlier diagnosis and more targeted treatments, according to a new study.

7 Aug 2024