Blood transfusions strongly linked to development of BPD in preterm neonates, reveals research

A new study published in the journal Cureus showed that blood transfusions raised the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm neonates (less than 32 weeks), and the risk was greater for transfused newborns.

A common and serious consequence of preterm delivery, especially in infants with low birth weights (BW) and gestational ages (GA), is bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Red blood cell and platelet transfusions have the potential to exacerbate pulmonary inflammation and exacerbate bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a frequent lung ailment in premature newborns.

Transfusions have been given to almost all newborns with severe BPD, although their possible involvement as a cause of BPD has not been fully investigated. Therefore, Abdulrahman Al-Matary and his team undertook this study to investigate the link between blood product infusions and the development of BPD among preterm newborns.

From 2011 to 2020, a retrospective analysis of neonates admitted to the hospital within 48 hours after delivery and with a gestational age of less than 32 weeks was carried out. Information about blood transfusions, clinical characteristics, and patient demographics was taken from the department's medical records. The association between blood transfusions and the onset of BPD in the study population was evaluated using logistic regression analysis.

The study comprised 1,553 newborns in total. The average birth weight was 1264.2 ± 515.1 grams, and the average gestational age was 28.8 ± 2.7 weeks. A total of 183 (11.8%) of the newborns had a BPD diagnosis. The risk of developing BPD was considerably higher for neonates who got blood transfusions than for those who did not, and it was much higher for those who received fresh frozen plasma (OR = 9.9).

Multivariate logistic regression research verified that blood transfusions continued to be a significant predictor in the development of BPD after controlling for relevant variables. Blood transfusion was also found to be the best predictor of BPD using stepwise regression analysis. Sepsis, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) were also important predictors.

Overall, blood transfusions were found to be a substantial predictor of the development of BPD in preterm newborns, and this connection was determined to be significant. BPD was also linked to other variables as sepsis, ROP, PDA, and NIV usage.

Reference:

Al-Matary, A., AlShalan, I., AlDhafiri, F. M., Almujahid, M., & Almazyad, A. (2025). Exploring the relationship between blood transfusions and development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in neonates. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.80706