Day Care Increases the Risk of Respiratory Morbidity in Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity

Infants and children with chronic lung disease of prematurity (CLDP) are at increased risk for morbidity and mortality from respiratory viral infections. Exposure to respiratory viruses may be increased in the day care environment. The risk of respiratory morbidity from day care attendance in the CLDP population is unknown. We therefore sought to determine if day care attendance is a significant risk factor for increased respiratory morbidity and symptoms in infants and children with CLDP. Between January 2008 and October 2009, parents of infants and children with CLDP were surveyed. Information on perinatal history, sociodemographic information, day care attendance, and indicators of respiratory morbidity, including emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, systemic corticosteroid use, antibiotic use, and respiratory symptoms, was collected on children