Bronchopulmonary dysplasia: early diagnosis, prophylaxis, and treatment.

ary dysplasia.2 The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia among ventilated infants varies, depending on gestational age, from 4-2% to as high as 40%,'1 4 but increases up to 70% among infants in whom it is necessary to prolong mechanical ventilation beyond two weeks.5 Such infants have an increased mortality and morbidity even after discharge from neonatal intensive care. Readmission is common during the first two years of life and infants suffer from recurrent respiratory symptoms with persistent lung function abnormalities. Thus it is most important to determine if the course of this disease may be altered and if it is preventable.