Neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia: a single-center retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease, but its association with long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between BPD and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 months of corrected age. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study included 356 preterm infants (gestational age [GA] ≤35 weeks), of whom 102 (28.7%) had BPD and 254 (71.3%) served as non-BPD controls. Neurodevelopmental outcomes were assessed using the Gesell Developmental Scale at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of corrected age across five domains. RESULTS: Compared with non-BPD infants, the BPD group had significantly lower GA, birthweight, and Apgar scores, and higher rates of comorbidities. The BPD group consistently demonstrated significantly lower Gesell scores across all five domains at each time point. Multivariable linear regression confirmed that BPD was independently associated with a lower mean DQ at 12 months (β = -0.32, 95% CI: -0.55 to -0.08, P = 0.009). Restricted cubic spline curves demonstrated that the neurodevelopmental benefits of higher GA and birthweight were most pronounced in the most preterm and low-birthweight infants. Mediation analyses revealed that BPD mediated 41.5% of the effect of birthweight and 72.0% of the effect of GA on neurodevelopmental outcomes. Notably, although the BPD group achieved catch-up growth by 3 months, this did not translate into improved developmental scores. CONCLUSIONS: BPD is significantly associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 months of corrected age in preterm infants. Early neurodevelopmental screening and multidisciplinary follow-up for preterm infants with BPD are strongly recommended.