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. 2021 Oct;36(12):1095-1102.
doi: 10.1177/08830738211047019. Epub 2021 Oct 22.

Health Profile of Preterm Males With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Aida Soim  1 , Bailey Wallace  2   3 , Nedra Whitehead  4 , Michael G Smith  5 , Joshua R Mann  6 , Shiny Thomas  1 , Emma Ciafaloni  7 ; Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network (MD STARnet)
Affiliations

Health Profile of Preterm Males With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Aida Soim et al. J Child Neurol. 2021 Oct.

Abstract

In this retrospective cohort study, we characterize the health profile of preterm males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Major clinical milestones (ambulation cessation, assisted ventilation use, and onset of left ventricular dysfunction) and corticosteroids use in males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy identified through a population-based surveillance system were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards modeling. The adjusted risk of receiving any respiratory intervention among preterm males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy was 87% higher than among the corresponding full-term males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The adjusted risks for ambulation cessation and left ventricular dysfunction were modestly elevated among preterm compared to full-term males, but the 95% confidence intervals contained the null. No difference in the start of corticosteroid use between preterm and full-term Duchenne muscular dystrophy males was observed. Overall, the disease course seems to be similar between preterm and full-term males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy; however, pulmonary function seems to be affected earlier among preterm males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Keywords: Duchenne muscular dystrophy; children epidemiology; pediatric; preterm.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Sample exclusion criteria for males from the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network (MD STARnet) cohort.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Kaplan-Meier survival curves for the time to ambulation cessation among preterm and full-term born males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking and Research Network.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Kaplan-Meier survival curves for the time to intervention for pulmonary function among preterm and full-term born males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking and Research Network.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
KaplanMeier survival curves for the time to first documentation of left ventricular disfunction among preterm and full-term born males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking and Research Network.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Kaplan-Meier survival curves for the time from definitive diagnosis to first documentation of steroid use among preterm and full-term born males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking and Research Network.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Kaplan-Meier survival curves for the time from birth to definitive diagnosis for preterm and full-term born males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking and Research Network.
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