Somatic growth and the risks of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pulmonary hypertension: Connecting epidemiology and physiology ¹

In the premature infant, poor growth in utero (fetal growth restriction) and in the first weeks of life (postnatal growth restriction) are associated with increased risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pulmonary hypertension. In this review, we summarize the epidemiologic data supporting these associations, present a novel rodent model of postnatal growth restriction, and review 5 promising mechanisms by which poor nutrition may affect the developing lung. These observations support the hypothesis that nutritional and (or) pharmacologic interventions early in life may be able to decrease risk of the pulmonary complications of extreme prematurity.