Falling through the cracks: what happens to survivors of preterm birth?

Premature birth has consequences across the life course, including reduced life-expectancy, and the most prematurely born have the worst outcomes 1, 2. Survivors of prematurity have increased respiratory morbidity and mortality, airflow obstruction, asthma-like symptoms and COPD, and cardiovascular disease 1-4. Footnotes This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal . It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article. Conflict of interest: A. Bush has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: A. Greenough reports a grant from Chiesi to support research on LISA and payment for a lecture at the ERS Congress from Chiesi, in the past 36 months. Conflict of interest: A. Agustí reports grants paid to his institution from GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Menarini, Chiesi and Sanofi; consulting fees from GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZenenca, Chiesi, Menarini and Sanofi; payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers' bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Chiesi, Menarini and Zambon; and is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease and Co-Chair of CADSET (both unpaid positions), all in the past 36 months. Conflict of interest: F. Bianco is an employee of Chiesi Farmaceutici. Conflict of interest: E. Baraldi reports payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers' bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from AstraZeneca, Sanofi and Chiesi; and participation on a data safety monitoring or advisory board for AstraZeneca and Sanofi, all in the past 36 months.