Preterm Babies Have High Risk of Asthma, Wheezing

Preterm babies are at increased risk of asthma, wheezing, a new study said.

Babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are preterm babies, according to the World Health Organization. These babies suffer from a high risk of dying early. Recent advancements in preterm baby care have helped doctors save these babies. However, preemies have higher risk of developing chronic diseases later in life.

The present study was conducted by researchers at the Maastricht University Medical Centre (Netherlands) and The University of Edinburgh (UK), along with colleagues at Harvard Medical School (US),

The team analyzed data from 30 studies done on the subject. In all, the studies included some 1.5 million children. Researchers found that preemies were 47 percent more likely to develop wheezing or asthma in next few years when compared to babies born after full-term. Also, children born before 32 weeks have three times higher risk of developing the conditions than other kids.

"[t]he current findings do not support prior suggestions that the association between preterm birth and wheezing disorders becomes less prominent with increasing age [...] Instead, the strength of the association was similar across age groups [up to 18 years], suggesting that the pulmonary consequences of preterm birth tend to persist throughout the life course," the study authors said, according to a news release.

Around 15 million preemies are born every year. Previous research has shown that preterm babies are at higher risk of various health complications including cerebral palsy, problems associated with breathing, vision and hearing loss, digestive problems, according to the National Institutes of Health. These kids may also suffer from poor learning abilities.

The study is published in the journal PLOS One.