Influenza Immunization in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants: Epidemiology and Long-Term Outcomes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs; birth weight < 1500 g) are at an increased risk of complicated influenza infection, which frequently includes pneumonia, encephalitis or even death. Data on influenza immunization and its outcome in VLBWIs are scarce. This study aimed to provide epidemiological data on influenza immunization for German VLBWIs and hypothesized that immunization would protect VLBWIs from infection-mediated neurodevelopmental impairment and preserves lung function at early school age.

Methods

In this observational population-based German Neonatal Network (GNN) study, infants born between 2009 and 2015 were invited to partake in a 6-year follow-up investigation including lung function and developmental testing. Uni- and multivariate analyses were

SUBMITTER: Dammann MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11769184 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature