This national register study aimed to evaluate the need of asthma medication reimbursement and hospitalization due to asthma and atopic dermatitis up to 7 years of age in moderately preterm (MP) (32-33 weeks) and late preterm (LP) (34-36 weeks) children compared to very preterm (VP) (<32 weeks) and term (≥37 weeks) children. Altogether, 1,018,302 children born in Finland between 1991 and 2008 were assessed. The MP and LP groups received asthma medication reimbursement more frequently than term controls (8.0 and 5.7 vs. 3.8 %), but less frequently than VP children (15.4 %). Hospitalization due to asthma was more common among MP (10.6 %) and LP (7.3 %) children than term children (4.8 %) but less common than in VP children (20.1 %). Hospitalization due to atopic dermatitis was more frequent among term (5.2 %) compared to MP (4.2 %) and LP (4.7 %) children. Male sex, maternal smoking, maternal diabetes, and ventilator therapy predicted asthma medication in the MP and/or LP children.
Conclusion: MP and LP children seem to need medication and hospitalization for asthma more often than term controls but less frequently than VP children followed by 7 years of age. Hospitalization due to atopic dermatitis becomes more common with increasing gestational age.
What is known: • MP and LP infants have an increased risk for early respiratory morbidity and to asthma. • Less is known on the occurrence of atopic dermatitis in this patient group. What is New: • Medication and hospital care due to asthma were more frequent in school-aged MP and LP than in term infants. Male sex, maternal smoking, maternal diabetes and ventilator therapy predicted asthma. • Hospitalization due to atopic dermatitis became more common with increasing gestational age.
Keywords: Asthma; Atopic dermatitis; Late preterm; Moderately preterm; Preterm.