Effects of prophylactic indomethacin on morbidity and mortality in infants <25 weeks’ gestation: a protocol driven intention to treat analysis

OBJECTIVE: To determine if prophylactic indomethacin (PINDO) decreases death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia-grades 2 and 3 (death/BPD) in newborns <25 weeks. STUDY DESIGN: Intention-to-treat, cohort-controlled study of 106 infants admitted during three alternating epochs of PINDO or Expectant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) management. RESULTS: At 7–8 days 85% of Expectant Management epoch infants had a moderate/large PDA (median exposure was 23 days). Among PINDO epoch infants only 24% still had a PDA at 7–8 days. There were no significant differences in the incidence of death/BPD or of secondary outcomes (BPD, death, necrotizing enterocolitis/spontaneous perforations, or intraventricular hemorrhage (grades 3 or 4)) in either unadjusted or adjusted comparisons between infants born in a PINDO epoch and those born in the Expectant Management epoch. CONCLUSION: Despite being at high risk for PDA-related morbidities, PINDO did not appear to alter the rates of our primary and secondary outcomes in infants <25 weeks.