Early low-dose hydrocortisone is associated with a reduced risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in infants born at less than 26 weeks' gestational age.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether administering low-dose hydrocortisone early in treatment reduces the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in infants born before 26 weeks of gestation.

STUDY DESIGN

This retrospective case-control study compared the incidence of Grade II BPD between infants who received hydrocortisone treatment and those who did not. Propensity score matching was used to ensure comparability between the groups, with a 1:1 match ratio based on gestational age and birth weight.

RESULTS

A total of 66 infants were included in the study. Those who received early low-dose hydrocortisone demonstrated a significantly lower risk of Grade II BPD incidence ( = 0.024). Additionally, early administration of low-dose hydrocortisone was associated with a shorter duration of non-invasive ventilation days ( = 0.038). Multiple logistic regression analysis confirmed that hydrocortisone treatment was independently associated with a reduced risk of Grade II + BPD incidence (OR: 0.287, 95% CI: 0.084-0.980).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that early administration of low-dose hydrocortisone is associated with a reduced risk of Grade II BPD in extremely preterm infants born before 26 weeks of gestation.