A high risk factors clinical study of low birth weight premature infants with wheezing

Objective To investigate the high risk factors for wheezing of low birth weight premature infants with wheezing. Methods A cohort study of 143 premature infants, whose gestation less than 37 weeks and birth weight less than 2 500 g, were collected from Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Kunming Children′s Hospital, from December 2012 to November 2013.Follow-up investigation was conducted, and those with wheezing were enrolled in the study.Many possible factors causing wheezing were analyzed, such as general conditions in the neonatal period, family conditions, and treatment.SPSS 17.0 statistical software was used to analyze the data.Single factor analysis was used by χ2 test and rank sum test to evaluate the possible risk factors.Multiple factors analysis was made by Logistic regression analysis.P<0.05 was viewed as having statistical difference. Results (1)The risk factors for wheezing in the premature infants were: continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) noninvasive ventilation(χ2=8.531, P=0.003), ventilation(χ2=4.800, P=0.028), caesarean section(χ2=6.787, P=0.009), the use of pulmonary surfactant(χ2=5.455, P=0.020), using antibiotics used at hospital(χ2=5.192, P=0.023), father smoking(χ2=5.406, P=0.020), maternal smoking(χ2=8.531, P=0.003), maternal allergic history(χ2=8.297, P=0.004), compatriot history of allergies(χ2=8.297, P=0.004) or asthma(χ2=9.774, P=0.002), family environment with dust and excitant gas(χ2=12.831, P=0.000) were the risk factors for the wheezing in the low birth weight premature infants.(2)Multi-factor classification Logistic regression analysis showed that CPAP (OR=58.414, 95%CI: 3.317-1 028.646, P=0.005), mother smoking during pregnancy(OR=11.953, 95%CI: 1.309-109.120, P=0.028), compatriot history of allergies(OR=135.769, 95%CI: 4.914-3 751.419, P=0.004), family environment(OR=83.738, 95%CI: 4.416-1 587.982, P=0.003), were independent risk factors for wheezing in low birth weight premature infants; natural labor was protective factor for wheezing in low birth weight premature infants(OR=0.045, 95%CI: 0.004-0.574, P=0.017). (3)The sensitivity and specificity of risk factors were analyzed.The highest sensitivity was estimated for the father′s history of allergy(83.3%). The highest specificity was estimated for the use of antibiotics at hospital(76.7%). Conclusions The study shows that CPAP noninvasive ventilation, mother smoking during pregnancy, allergy history of their brothers and sisters, family environment with dust and excitant gas are independent risk factors for wheezing in the low birth weight premature infants.There is no single risk factor with both high sensitivity and high specificity. Key words: Premature; Low birth weight; Wheezing