Long-term effects of indomethacin prophylaxis in extremely-low-birth-weight infants

Abstract

Background: The prophylactic administration of indomethacin reduces the frequency of patent ductus arteriosus and severe intraventricular hemorrhage in very-low-birth-weight infants (those with birth weights below 1500 g). Whether prophylaxis with indomethacin confers any long-term benefits that outweigh the risks of drug-induced reductions in renal, intestinal, and cerebral blood flow is not known. Methods: Soon after they were born, we randomly assigned 1202 infants with birth weights of 500 to 999 g (extremely low birth weight) to receive ether indomethacin (0.1 mg per kilogram of body weight) or placebo intravenously once daily for three days. The primary outcome was a composite of death..