Enteral High-dose DHA Supplementation on Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Very Preterm Infants: a Collaborative Study

Original registry description

This one-stage individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis study will aim to determine whether high-dose docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enteral supplementation during the neonatal period is associated with the risk for severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA) compared to control, in contemporary cohorts of preterm infants born at less than 29 weeks of gestation. The association between high-dose DHA and severe BPD will also be explored in important subgroups according to sex, gestational age, small-for-gestational age and mode of delivery.

Severe BPD is a well-known factor consistently associated with impaired cognitive outcomes. Regarding reported benefits on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes, the potential adverse effects of high-dose DHA supplementation on this short-term neonatal morbidity needs further investigations in infants born very preterm. Therefore, based on previous systematic review findings and a known association between more severe BPD and unfavorable neurodevelopmental outcomes, a deeper understanding of the association between DHA and severe BPD needs further investigations. Harmonization of the severe BPD definition across the recent DHA trials, reclassified according to modern criteria will strengthen the results and allow their interpretation in balance with the potential efficacy of DHA on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. Moreover, inconsistent differential responses of DHA on BPD were previously reported according to subgroups such as sex, gestational age and mode of delivery and need to be further explored in this more vulnerable population.