Lung function outcome at school age in very low birth weight children.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess pulmonary function and its predictors in very low birth weight (birth weight ≤1,500 g) children (VLBWc) with or without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), born at gestational age ≤32 weeks at a single tertiary center during 1996-1999, after the introduction of surfactant therapy.

Methods: Of the 120 surviving VLBW children, 48 (40%) VLBWc (22 with prior-BPD) at age 8.5 ± 1.