TOPLINE:
Neonates born preterm with very low birth weight (VLBW) exposed to multiple perinatal antibiotics were at an increased risk for impaired lung function and asthma episodes at early school age, according to a new study.
METHODOLOGY:
- This population-based, multicentre cohort analysis included 3820 neonates born preterm with VLBW (< 1500 g; median gestational age, 28.4 weeks; 49.0% girls) from 58 German Neonatal Network centres between 2009 and 2017.
- Researchers stratified participants into the following three groups on the basis of the antibiotic risk score (ARS): Low-risk group (ARS I; 9.4%) that received only surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis, intermediate-risk group (ARS II; 42.7%) that received prophylaxis plus postnatal antibiotics, and high-risk group (ARS III;…