Synagis prophylaxis (palivizumab, MedImmune) appeared to reduce wheeze and the number of hospitalizations associated with respiratory syncytial virus in children born prematurely, according to study results.

Researchers conducted a prospective cross-sectional study, which included 63 children aged 7 to 10 years and born before 29 weeks’ gestation from 2000 to 2003.

Less than half of patients (47.6%) received palivizumab during infancy, and among them, their parents reported minimal wheezing during the first 2 years of life (27%). By comparison, 70% of parents whose children did not receive palivizumab reported wheezing during the same period.

Seventy percent of parents reported hospitalizations for their children who did not receive the drug, while 33% of parents whose children took palivizumab reported hospitalization during the first 2 years of life.