A retrospective cohort study evaluating the growth and clinical outcomes of preterm and term infants with cystic fibrosis during the first 11 years of life

Objectives Infants with cystic fibrosis (iwCF) have lower birth weights than others. That influences nutritional and pulmonary outcomes. It was reported that 86.0% of iwCF were born full‐term and 14.0% preterm. Data on the role of gestational age in growth and clinical outcomes of people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) is limited. Objectives of this study are to assess the impact of gestational age on the growth and clinical outcomes of pwCF at 2 and 11 years of age and pulmonary function at 6 and 11 years of age. Methods This is a retrospective, single‐center, cross‐sectional study, conducted between 2008 and 2024, for pwCF at Michigan Medicine. Results A total of 170 pwCF were enrolled, 21 were premature, and 149 were full term. There was no statistical significance between the two groups in hospitalization rate, pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, Dornase alfa use, Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization, and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulators use. There was a statistically significant difference in Vitamin K supplement, Ursodiol, and proton pump inhibitors use, with all used more in the premature group. There was no statistical significance of weight for length (WFL) at birth. At 2 years of age, there was a statistically significant difference in WFL and in body mass index between the two groups at 11 years of age. Conclusion Our study demonstrated a statistically significant difference in preterm WFL percentile compared to term pwCF at 2 years of age, with preterm pwCF having a lower average WFL percentile ( p = 0.04). We found no difference between the groups with respect to pulmonary function testing, medication, and nutrition supplementation use.