Short- and long-term respiratory complications in late preterm infants: a review / 中华围产医学杂志

ABSTRACT

There are more and more late preterm infants in recent years. Due to the immature physiological and metabolic functions, late preterm neonates are more prone to various short- and long-term respiratory complications in their early postnatal period, such as neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, wet lung and apnea in the short term, and asthma and respiratory syncytial virus infection in the long term, which significantly increase the admission and fatality rate of late preterm infants in their infancy and school age compared with the full-term ones. Clinicians should be much aware of the short- and long-term respiratory complications in late preterm infants so as to promote clinical management and improve the long-term quality of lives of these infants.