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COMPASS: CardiOpulMonary Preterm Adult & School‑Age Screening

Each year, around 3,000 babies in Western Australia are born prematurely, representing approximately 10% of all births.

Investigators

  • A/Prof Shannon Simpson
  • Dr Juliene G. Costa Dechichi
  • Dr Elizabeth Smith
  • Mrs Jaqueline Macpherson
  • Dr James Gibbons
  • Mrs Amber Bates

Project description

Each year, around 3,000 babies in Western Australia are born prematurely, representing approximately 10% of all births. Research from our team has shown that many children born very preterm experience ongoing breathing problems and reduced lung function, with some developing early signs of chronic lung disease. The health consequences of preterm birth extend beyond the respiratory system, being associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood, including hypertension, ischaemic heart disease and other adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

The coexistence of respiratory and cardiovascular disease presents additional challenges for diagnosis, management and treatment. Despite these known risks, there is currently no coordinated respiratory or cardiovascular follow-up for people born preterm after they leave neonatal services and early childhood care. As a result, many children and adults with prematurity-associated respiratory and cardiovascular disease are not identified until symptoms become established or significant functional impairment has occurred. 

This project will characterise the cardiorespiratory health of children and adults born preterm across Western Australia and determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, cardiovascular risk factors and abnormal lung function across the lifespan. Including children and adults across the full spectrum of gestational ages and from metropolitan and regional communities will provide the first representative assessment of the lifelong burden of prematurity-associated cardiorespiratory disease. 

If you come for a visit, it will include:

  • Lung function tests.
  • Cardiovascular risk factor assessments (weight, height, blood pressure, waist and hip circumference and heart rate variability). 
  • Health and lifestyle questionnaire.

Most of what we know about long-term outcomes comes from relatively small research studies involving participants living near major hospitals, meaning we have little understanding of the health of the broader population born preterm across Western Australia. This study will provide the first statewide snapshot of cardiorespiratory health in people born preterm in Western Australia. It represents a crucial first step toward directly addressing community-identified priorities and providing the evidence needed to inform future screening, models of care, and clinical practice.

Key Outcomes

  1. Identification of the cardiorespiratory health status in people born preterm in Western Australia from metropolitan and regional areas across the lifespan. 
  2. Delineate whether cardiorespiratory health differs in the preterm population according to gestational age at birth, age at assessment, sex, geographic location and other relevant clinical and sociodemographic factors. Supporting implementation of routine cardiovascular and respiratory follow-up in survivors of preterm birth.
  3. Generation of evidence to guide future screening programs and future clinical trials, referral pathways and models of care for people born preterm across WA. 
  4. Translation of evidence about prematurity-associated cardiorespiratory risk into educational resources for health care providers and the broader community, by providing evidence for translation into clinical practice and policy (i.e., guidelines, follow-up respiratory services).

The study is led by The Kids Research Institute Australia in collaboration with the Institute of Respiratory Health, Respiratory Care WA, and The University of Western Australia. 

This project received a research grant from Chiesi Australia PTY LTD.

Interested in being part of the COMPASS study?

We are currently recruiting children and adults born preterm, aged between 6 and 45 years old. If you are interested in learning more or getting involved, please contact us on 0415 049 479 or via email at preterm@thekids.org.au. 

We would love to hear from you! 

External collaborators

  • A/Prof John Blakey (Institute for Respiratory Health)
  • A/Prof Sanjay Ramakrishnan (Institute for Respiratory Health)
  • Mrs Rael Rivers (Respiratory Care WA)