Which statement describes the relationship between bronchopulmonary dysplasia risk and gestational age/birth weight?

• A. The risk increases with higher gestational age and higher birth weight
• B. The risk is unrelated to gestational age and birth weight
• C. The risk is inversely related to gestational age and birth weight
• D. The risk only depends on infection history

Answer: (C)

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia risk is tied to how mature the lungs are at birth. The more premature and smaller the infant, the less developed the lungs are and the more vulnerable they are to injury from oxygen exposure and ventilation, which can disrupt normal lung development and lead to BPD. As gestational age and birth weight increase, lung maturity improves and the risk of this chronic lung condition decreases. Infections or inflammatory factors can worsen risk, but the overall pattern is that greater maturity at birth lowers the likelihood of developing BPD.