Corniche study: 69.6% of UAE babies born before 32 weeks developed chronic lung disease

Nearly 7 in 10 UAE babies born before 32 weeks in a Corniche Hospital cohort developed chronic lung disease, according to a Khaleej Times report published on 24 August 2026.

The finding matters first for neonatal units, paediatric clinics and payers because the cost does not end at NICU discharge. Babies with chronic lung disease, also called bronchopulmonary dysplasia, often need oxygen review, infection surveillance, feeding support, developmental checks and rapid access to paediatric respiratory care. In Dubai this pathway sits under Dubai Health Authority (DHA) licensing and insurance rules. In Abu Dhabi and Al Ain it sits under the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH). In Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain, providers are regulated by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP).

What the study found

The retrospective study covered 161 infants born before 32 weeks of gestation and admitted to Corniche Hospital between 1 January 2019 and 31 July 2021. The peer-reviewed paper, The Profile of Chronic Lung Disease in <32 Weeks Gestational Age Infants, listed Ihab Elkadry, Latifeh Ghosn, Ahmed Embabi and Hesham Tawakol as authors.

• 69.6% of infants developed chronic lung disease.
• 31.1% had mild disease, 27.3% moderate disease and 11.2% severe disease.
• The average birth weight was 885 grams.
• 95% of mothers received antenatal steroids and 84.5% of infants received surfactant.
• 90.7% survived to hospital discharge.

“The smaller the weight, the higher the risk,” Dr Ihab Elkadry, neonatologist at Corniche Hospital, told Khaleej Times.

The severe group carried the operational warning. Khaleej Times reported that 14 babies died in the study, including 12 with severe chronic lung disease. Dr Elkadry also said longer sedation was associated with severe disease in this UAE cohort, while cautioning that the finding does not prove causation.

Why clinics and insurers should care

For COOs, the study is a discharge-planning issue. Corniche Hospital typically reviews babies four to six weeks after discharge, according to Khaleej Times. Dubai clinics receiving similar patients should map that window into recall systems, paediatric respiratory capacity and home-care referrals. Abu Dhabi providers should check DOH-licensed follow-up capacity around NICU discharge. MOHAP-licensed providers in the northern emirates need referral routes for babies discharged from tertiary neonatal units in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

For CFOs and insurance heads, chronic lung disease turns a neonatal admission into a multi-month claims stream. Outpatient paediatric or specialist consultations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi commonly sit in the AED 100 to AED 800 range before insurance, depending on city, specialty and facility type, according to the UAE Open Healthcare Directory city comparison. Exact payable amounts require the patient’s policy schedule, network tier and pre-authorisation rules. Finance teams should check contracted tariffs directly with Daman, Thiqa, Sukoon or the relevant third-party administrator before quoting families for oxygen, home nursing, respiratory consumables or rehabilitation.

For medical directors, the main practice issue is risk stratification. The study points to lower birth weight, prolonged respiratory support, infection and longer sedation as markers for closer review. That does not create a new UAE mandate. It does give NICUs and paediatric clinics a local audit list for severe chronic lung disease: ventilation days, oxygen days, sepsis episodes, nutrition progress and developmental referral completion.

What operators should do next

Dubai clinics should review DHA-licensed service scope before advertising neonatal follow-up, paediatric pulmonology, home oxygen coordination or rehabilitation for premature infants. Abu Dhabi operators should do the same against DOH facility and professional licences. Providers in the northern emirates should confirm MOHAP licence scope and document referral agreements where a service is outside their approval.

The next data point to watch is Corniche Hospital’s proposed follow-up study on factors associated with severe chronic lung disease. Until then, operators should treat the 69.6% rate as a high-risk hospital cohort, not a UAE population rate. The Tawam Hospital comparison cited by Khaleej Times, covering 700 babies born before 32 weeks between 2016 and 2022, reported a 40.5% chronic lung disease rate and 21% mortality, which shows why case mix and definitions matter.

Parents and discharge teams should verify licensed providers before booking follow-up. The UAE Open Healthcare Directory lists 12,384+ licensed healthcare providers across all seven emirates and allows users to compare clinics by city, specialty, insurance acceptance and contact details.