Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common respiratory complication after preterm birth that severely affects the prognosis and quality of life in preterm infants. In recent years, significant progress has been made in neonatal care, but the incidence of BPD remains high. After long-term exploration and application, some medications such as exogenous pulmonary surfactants, glucocorticoids and caffeine have been widely used for the prevention and treatment of BPD. However, some medications including diuretics, inhaled nitric oxide and bronchodilators have not been proved to be effective and safe. This review summarizes the present drugs for the prevention of BPD in publications.