Even mildly premature infants have increased risk of a common respiratory tract infection
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 - 14:14
in Health & Medicine
Even mildly premature infants (gestational ages of 33 weeks through 36 weeks) have an increased risk of medically attended respiratory syncytial virus infection, which is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants and young children and can lead to pneumonia in babies, according to a Kaiser Permanente Division of Research study. The RSV infection risk is higher among infants exposed to supplemental oxygen or assisted ventilation during the neonatal period, said the researchers, explaining that the need for oxygen is sometimes unavoidable for babies who need intensive care.