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Nearly 7 in 10 premature babies in UAE develop chronic lung disease: study
Corniche Hospital's research identifies factors linked to severe cases, including low birth weight, infection and prolonged breathing support
- PUBLISHED: Mon 24 Aug 2026, 5:26 PM
Nearly seven in 10 babies born before 32 weeks of pregnancy developed some form of chronic lung disease in a study at Abu Dhabi’s Corniche Hospital, with lower birth weight, prolonged respiratory support and infection associated with more severe cases.
For babies who can weigh less than 1kg at birth, simply learning to breathe can be one of the biggest battles of their first weeks of life. Their lungs are still immature, and some need breathing machines and oxygen for prolonged periods while their lungs develop.
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A study of 161 such babies at Corniche Hospital has now given doctors a clearer picture of which babies are most vulnerable to developing severe chronic lung disease, one of the most serious complications of extreme prematurity.
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The study found that 69.6 per cent of the babies developed chronic lung disease, but most cases were mild or moderate. About 31.1 per cent had mild disease, 27.3 per cent moderate disease and 11.2 per cent severe disease.
It was the babies in the severe category who faced the greatest risks. They needed breathing support and oxygen for longer, had higher rates of infection and were much more likely to die.
Of the 14 babies who died in the study, 12 had severe chronic lung disease.
“The smaller the weight, the higher the risk,” Dr Ihab Elkadry, neonatologist at Corniche Hospital, told Khaleej Times.
The babies had an average birth weight of just 885 grams, highlighting the vulnerability of the group studied.
New data uncovered
Elkadry said one of the most interesting findings was an association between the duration of sedation and severe chronic lung disease, which he said he had not found previously reported in UAE data.
“We don't have local data in UAE,” he said, describing the finding as a potentially new observation that could be investigated in future research.
The finding does not establish that sedation causes lung disease, but suggests that the duration of sedation may be an important factor to examine more closely, particularly in the sickest premature babies.
For doctors, protecting a premature baby's lungs starts even before birth.
Where possible, mothers at risk of delivering very prematurely receive antenatal steroids to help mature the baby's lungs. In the Corniche study, 95 per cent of mothers received the treatment.
After birth, 84.5 per cent of the babies received surfactant, a substance that helps immature lungs stay open and makes breathing easier.
If a baby requires invasive ventilation, the medical team tries to get them off it as soon as it is safely possible, Elkadry said, because prolonged ventilation is associated with chronic lung disease.
“From the first breath, we are taking care to avoid the chronic lung disease,” he said.
Preventing infections
Doctors are also focusing on preventing infections, providing adequate nutrition to help babies gain weight and using medicines to manage fluid in the lungs when needed.
“From the beginning also we are targeting to increase the baby's weight in a proper way and to make sure that his lung has become more mature,” Elkadry said.
The effects of chronic lung disease can continue after a baby leaves intensive care.
At Corniche Hospital, babies are typically brought back for review four to six weeks after discharge, when doctors assess their breathing before they are referred for longer-term follow-up as they grow.
The follow-up also looks beyond the lungs. Babies who have had severe chronic lung disease can face a higher risk of respiratory infections and developmental delays, making continued monitoring important.
“It’s not only about the breathing itself, it’s a multidisciplinary approach,” Elkadry said.
Despite the burden of chronic lung disease, 90.7 per cent of the babies in the study survived to hospital discharge.
Elkadry said this was encouraging given the babies' extreme prematurity and very low birth weights, but stressed that the goal of neonatal care is increasingly about more than survival.
“We are not providing the care just only to make babies survive,” he explained. “The message here, we would like to make babies survive with good health.”
The study covered babies born at Corniche Hospital between January 2019 and July 2021. Researchers have cautioned that its results cannot be directly compared with other UAE studies because of differences in the populations studied, the definitions used and clinical practices at different times.
More UAE-based research
A recent Tawam Hospital study of 700 babies born before 32 weeks between 2016 and 2022 reported a CLD rate of 40.5 per cent and mortality of 21 per cent.
Elkadry said more UAE-specific research is needed to understand why outcomes vary and identify the best ways to reduce severe complications.
The Corniche team is now preparing a proposal for a follow-up study focusing specifically on the factors associated with severe chronic lung disease. The research still requires ethical approval, but Elkadry said the team hopes to begin data collection soon.
The aim, he said, is to use the findings to reduce the proportion of babies developing severe disease and increase the number who leave hospital healthy.
For parents facing the uncertainty of having a very premature baby, Elkadry said the message was one of hope, while recognising the seriousness of the situation.
“Imagine, nine out of 10 survived to go home,” he said. “This is very promising and giving hope for the family, even with these very small babies.”
