Hospitalization Outcomes of Full-Term and Premature Children Aged Less Than 2 Years Hospitalized With RSV.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-1-2026
Identifier
DOI: 10.1542/peds.2025-072578
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Prematurity may place young children at increased risk for severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease because of differences in lung development. We describe characteristics of children aged less than 2 years hospitalized with RSV by prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) status and examine both as risk factors for severe in-hospital outcomes.
METHODS: During 2016-2023, population-based surveillance was conducted at 7 medical centers for hospitalizations with RSV-associated acute respiratory illness in children. Poisson regression with robust variance was used to estimate adjusted relative risks (aRRs) of prolonged hospitalization (≥3 days), intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and assisted ventilation by age in children with prematurity without and with BPD compared with term children after adjustment for surveillance site and palivizumab receipt.
RESULTS: Among 5844 children, 4626 (79.2%) were term and 1218 (20.8%) were premature, including 1138 (93.4%) without BPD and 80 (6.6%) with BPD. Compared with term children, all premature children had greater risks for prolonged hospitalization (aRR = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.5), ICU admission (aRR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2-1.6), and assisted ventilation (aRR = 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4-2.8) at chronological age less than 6 months. Premature children with BPD also had greater risk for prolonged hospitalization at all ages through 23 months.
CONCLUSIONS: Premature children accounted for 1 in 5 hospitalizations among children aged less than 2 years hospitalized with RSV. Compared with term children, all premature children had increased risk for severe in-hospital outcomes in early infancy, and those with BPD remained at increased risk of prolonged hospitalization through age 23 months.
Journal Title
Pediatrics
Volume
157
Issue
2
MeSH Keywords
Humans; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Hospitalization; Male; Female; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia; Risk Factors; Palivizumab; Respiration, Artificial; Length of Stay
PubMed ID
41500499
Keywords
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Hospitalization; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia; Risk Factors; Palivizumab; Artificial Respiration; Length of Stay
Recommended Citation
Salthouse AL, Tannis A, Rutkowski RE, et al. Hospitalization Outcomes of Full-Term and Premature Children Aged Less Than 2 Years Hospitalized With RSV. Pediatrics. 2026;157(2):e2025072578. doi:10.1542/peds.2025-072578
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