Susan Furth, MD, PhD Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Susan Furth, MD, PhD Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) recently hosted its Eleventh Annual Chronic Lung Disease (CLD) Conference, gathering over 365 medical professionals from various disciplines at the Hilton Philadelphia at Penn's Landing. The event, which occurred in early March 2025, marked the largest in-person CLD Conference to date.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), the most common chronic complication linked to premature birth, was the primary focus of the conference. This condition poses numerous challenges as it often requires prolonged hospital stays and costly medical care. It also significantly impacts long-term health, affecting lung function, cardiovascular health, growth, and neurodevelopment.
Dr. Kathleen Gibbs, Medical Director of the Newborn and Infant Chronic Lung Disease Program at CHOP and Co-course Director, expressed her satisfaction with the event's success, saying, "We were thrilled to recruit such a talented and diverse group of speakers who so eloquently shared their experience in managing BPD as well as the impact of a diagnosis of BPD on our patients and their families."
Participants from diverse medical backgrounds attended the conference, including physicians, nurses, therapists, dieticians, and social workers, all receiving continuing education credits. CHOP faculty and international specialists presented various topics, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in BPD care.
Kathy Nilan, Nurse Coordinator of the Newborn and Infant Chronic Lung Disease Program and Co-course Director, noted, "It was amazing to be able to showcase national and international experts in the care of CLD infants and their families this year."
The conference featured keynote speakers Patrick J. McNamara and Anne Greenough, who addressed topics such as optimizing outcomes in BPD and chronic respiratory morbidity following preterm birth. Additional presentations by Lauren Ingledow and Michelle Kelly provided insights into long-term health challenges faced by former preterm infants.
New elements introduced this year included a mid-conference session titled "Bench to Bedside: The Developing Lung and BPD," offering attendees the chance to engage with translational and clinical research. Workshops on ventilation strategies and developmental care provided hands-on learning experiences for participants.
The BPD Collaborative Symposium followed the conference, allowing members to continue their efforts in joint research and quality improvement. The next CLD Conference is scheduled for 2026, with plans to further expand its content and impact on BPD care.
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