Premature Infants and Respiratory Diseases: Recognition for Padua Researchers for Integrated Care Model
07.11.2025
Lorenzo Zanetto and Luca Bonadies, researchers at the University of Padua, have been honoured as "Emerging Investigators" by the «American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine» for their innovative study on the management of respiratory diseases in premature infants.
The recognition accompanies the publication of their article titled "Targeting Treatable Traits across the Lifespan in Preterm-Born Individuals with Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity", co-authored with Eugenio Baraldi, head of the Department of Women's and Children's Health and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Their work introduces a new methodology for treating chronic lung disease in premature infants. This method, based on "treatable traits", proposes a care model that supports patients from birth through to adulthood. Chronic lung disease of prematurity (CLDP), typically considered a neonatal condition, is actually a chronic respiratory disease that can have long-lasting effects into adulthood.
The "Treatable Traits" model aims to personalise the treatment of chronic respiratory diseases in premature infants. This approach, already used for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), promotes a comprehensive view of care, focusing not only on respiratory conditions but also on cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, and behavioural aspects.
At the Neonatology Department of the Padua University Hospital, directed by Eugenio Baraldi, these principles are already being applied through a follow-up service that has been active for many years. The centre has over thirty years of experience in monitoring premature infants with CLDP. With the new findings, the goal is to integrate this pathway with multidisciplinary evaluations and improve the transition to adult medicine.
The project is part of the "Centre for Therapy, Follow-up and Research for Prematurity and Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity" at the University of Padua, which aims to become a reference point for research and clinical innovation. The centre involves specialists to provide comprehensive and continuous care for premature infants. "This international recognition highlights the work of a medical and nursing team that has been dedicated for years to the care of premature infants and understanding the long-term consequences of preterm birth," says Eugenio Baraldi. "Our goal is to build a care model that supports our patients from birth to adulthood, promoting respiratory health and overall well-being".
