Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is more likely to occur in younger gestational age and lower birth weight. Which statement best expresses this concept?

• A. BPD risk is higher in term infants
• B. BPD risk does not depend on gestational age
• C. BPD risk is higher in younger GA and lower BW
• D. BPD risk is equal across all gestational ages

Answer: (C)

BPD risk rises with lung immaturity. The more premature an infant is and the lower the birth weight, the less developed the lungs are, with ongoing alveolar and vascular formation still in progress. Exposure to oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation during this vulnerable period can trigger inflammation and disrupt normal lung development, increasing the likelihood of chronic lung changes seen with BPD. Therefore, the statement that risk is higher in younger gestational age and lower birth weight best expresses this relationship. In contrast, term infants with higher birth weight have more mature lungs and are less likely to develop BPD, and risk is not equal across all gestational ages.