Prophylaxis of chronic lung disease after premature birth
Greenough, A.
Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease 56(5): 413-417
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 1122-0643 PMID: 11887498 Document Number: 531392
Chronic lung disease (CLD) following premature birth is a common adverse outcome of neonatal intensive care. It particularly occurs in infants born at very early gestations who are exposed to the dual insults of volutrauma and oxygen toxicity. Many possible prophylactic strategies have been investigated in randomized trials, but none have been demonstrated to be both effective and safe. High frequency oscillation, if a high volume strategy is pursued, reduces the incidence of CLD, but it remains unclear whether this is at the expense of an increase in intracranial pathology particularly in very immature infants. Corticosteroids administered systemically in the first two weeks after birth reduce CLD and may favourably impact on mortality; however, the long term consequences on pulmonary function and neurodevelopmental outcome of this therapy are of concern.