Lost in Transition: Is Early Respiratory Support in Newborn Infants the Best Option?

Abstract

Background: Late preterm and term newborns with respiratory distress are increasingly treated with non-invasive ventilation (NIV) including nasal high-flow or continuous positive airway pressure. For infants with mild distress, NIV may be unnecessary. Objectives: We speculated that treatment with supplemental oxygen (SO) prior to NIV could help clinicians select infants for NIV treatment, and examined this hypothesis using data from a recently completed trial. Method: Post hoc analysis of data from a subset of infants enrolled in the HUNTER trial. Infants born at ≥36 weeks' gestation were categorized by whether they were receiving SO prior to randomization. The 2 groups were compared for ill..