Advances in respiratory support for high risk newborn infants

BACKGROUND: A significant proportion of premature infants present with respiratory failure early in life and require supplemental oxygen and some form of mechanical respiratory support. FINDINGS: Many technical advances in the devices for neonatal respiratory support have occurred in recent years and new management strategies have been developed and evaluated in this population. This article describes some of these novel methods and discusses their application and possible advantages and limitations. CONCLUSION: Newer methods of respiratory support have led to marked improvement in outcome of premature infants with respiratory failure. Some of these strategies are very promising but further investigation to evaluate their short term efficacy and impact on long term respiratory and other relevant outcomes is needed before wider use.