Characteristics and Outcomes of Infants with Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Admitted to BPD Collaborative Centers

Objective To describe key clinical features and outcomes for infants with grade 2-3 bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD) enrolled in interdisciplinary BPD programs. Study Design An observational multi-center retrospective study of infants hospitalized in BPD Collaborative centers with grade 2-3 BPD from 2015-2024. Results Of 1747 infants, 29.2% had grade 3 BPD. Survival was high (95.4%) but accompanied by high need for respiratory support (68.2%), technology dependence (13.0% tracheostomy, 38.7% gastrostomy, 49.6% supplemental feeds), and respiratory medications at discharge (55% on inhaled medication). Median length of stay (LOS) and postmenstrual age (PMA) at discharge were 130 (94, 183) days and 47 (42, 54) weeks. Conclusion Despite high in-hospital survival of infants with sBPD who were enrolled in interdisciplinary BPD programs, most require high levels of support at discharge. Future studies are needed to identify targeted interventions that reduce the burden of care for infants with sBPD at the time of birth hospitalization discharge.