We have shown previously that growth is markedly attenuated in premature babies on dexamethasone (dex) therapy for BPD, but, the effect of BPD itself on the growth process has not been well documented. We studied physical growth in 26 premature infants (8M:16F; birth weight 1014(695-1590)g; gestational age 27 (24-31) weeks during the first 5 to 8 weeks of postnatal life. Thirteen infants had BPD on clinical and radiological criteria. Of these, 4 were treated with dex initially in a dose of 0.5mg/kd/day, gradually reducing over the treatment period (median 27 days). Growth was monitored as follows: daily weight (g), weekly occipital frontal circumference (OFC)(cm), total body length (TBL)(cm) and knee-ankle length (KAL)(cm), measured by vernier calipers. There was no difference in nutritional intake between babies with BPD and those without lung disease. Results were expressed as the mean rate of change i.e. g/day for weight and cm/week for the other parameters. All growth parameters in non-dex treated patients with BPD were similar to those in infants without lung disease. Weight gain and linear growth were significantly less (p<0.01) in babies receiving dex. Head growth was also reduced in this group, the difference did not achieve significance. Growth of these infants off dex was similar to healthy babies and to those with BPD not treated with dex. Weight gain was correlated (p<0.001) with changes in OFC (r=0.39) and TBL (r=0.44) Also, weight gain only was correlated with corrected GA (r=0.58, p<0.001). These results confirm that treatment with dex compromises physical growth in premature babies with BPD. However infants with BPD who are not treated with dex demonstrate normal patterns of growth. This suggests that in the presence of adequate nutrition, BPD per se does not compromise early postnatal growth. Table

Table 1
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