The Heterogeneity of Long‐Term Cardiopulmonary Outcomes in Children Born Preterm May Benefit from Pulmonary Hypertension‐Specialty Outpatient Follow‐Up

ABSTRACT

Preterm birth survivors reaching adulthood are a growing population, with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), the chronic lung disease of prematurity, common among this cohort. Infants with BPD are at increased risk for pulmonary vascular disease (PVD) including the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH). We present three preterm patients with a history of BPD‐associated PH (BPD‐PH) with monitoring throughout their childhood and young adulthood, highlighting the variation in management and late outcomes of each patient. Resolution of PH is reported on transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) in all patients early in their life. Long‐term follow‐up was discontinued for one patient, while long‐term monitoring in the other two individuals showed evidence of cardiopulmonary complications requiring PH‐specialty management. The burden of cardiopulmonary disease associated with prematurity exists beyond early childhood and further research on the long‐term management of this population is necessary to mitigate complications.