Long-Term Burden and Respiratory Effects of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Hospitalization in Preterm Infants-The SPRING Study

PLoS One. 2015 May 8;10(5):e0125422. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125422. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

The health status of premature infants born 321-350 weeks' gestational age (wGA) hospitalized for RSV infection in the first year of life (cases; n = 125) was compared to that of premature infants not hospitalized for RSV (controls; n = 362) through 6 years. The primary endpoints were the percentage of children with wheezing between 2-6 years and lung function at 6 years of age. Secondary endpoints included quality of life, healthcare resource use, and allergic sensitization. A significantly higher proportion of cases than controls experienced recurrent wheezing through 6 years of age (46.7% vs. 27.4%; p = 0.001). The vast majority of lung function tests appeared normal at 6 years of age in both cohorts. In children with pulmonary function in the lower limit of normality (FEV1 Z-score [-2; -1]), wheezing was increased, particularly for cases vs. controls (72.7% vs. 18.9%, p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis revealed the most important factor for wheezing was RSV hospitalization. Quality of life on the respiratory subscale of the TAPQOL was significantly lower (p = 0.001) and healthcare resource utilization was significantly higher (p<0.001) in cases than controls. This study confirms RSV disease is associated with wheezing in 32-35 wGA infants through 6 years of age.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Gestational Age
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Premature
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases / drug therapy
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases / physiopathology*
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases / virology
  • Male
  • Palivizumab / therapeutic use
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care / statistics & numerical data
  • Prospective Studies
  • Quality of Life*
  • Respiratory Function Tests
  • Respiratory Sounds / etiology
  • Respiratory Sounds / physiopathology*
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / complications
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / drug therapy
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / physiopathology*
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / virology
  • Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / physiology

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Palivizumab

Grants and funding

This study was funded by AbbVie Farmacéutica S.L.U. Madrid, Spain. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.