Caffeine helps preemies' breathing
Key points
- Caffeine therapy for the first few days of life helps resolve breathing difficulties in babies born prematurely, according to a report in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.
- Caffeine belongs to a class of compounds called methylxanthines, which are known to improve respiration.
- Barbara Schmidt, from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues assessed the outcomes of 2006 very low birth weight infants who were randomly assigned to get intravenous infusions of caffeine or inactive placebo for the first 10 days of life, until breathing difficulties improved.
- Caffeine therapy was associated with a 37 percent reduction in the need for supplemental oxygen.
Caffeine therapy for the first few days of life helps resolve breathing difficulties in babies born prematurely, according to a report in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.
Caffeine belongs to a class of compounds called methylxanthines, which are known to improve respiration. However, it was unclear if such therapy would help very preterm infants, whose lungs are too immature to work properly.
Dr. Barbara Schmidt, from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues assessed the outcomes of 2006 very low birth weight infants who were randomly assigned to get intravenous infusions of caffeine or inactive placebo for the first 10 days of life, until breathing difficulties improved.
Caffeine therapy was associated with a 37 percent reduction in the need for supplemental oxygen. In addition, caffeine infusions allowed positive airway pressure ventilation to be discontinued one week earlier.
While encouraging, the results represent only short-term outcomes, which are inadequate to assess the overall risks and benefits of neonatal intervention, the researchers warn.
"Follow-up of our study cohort to the corrected ages of 18 to 21 months and 5 years, currently in progress, is needed before one can confidently recommend the standard use of methylxanthine therapy," they say.
SOURCE: New England Journal of Medicine, May 18, 2006.
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Lungs, Asthma & Allergies →NewsBaking soda helps kids during severe asthma attack
An intravenous infusion of a solution of sodium bicarbonate - better known as Baking soda - reduces respiratory distress and excessive acidity of body fluids in children with a life-threatening asthma flare-up,…
8 March 2005
NewsSnoring may not signal breathing problems - study
A physical examination of the mouth and throat can't alone identify those whose snoring signals a more serious sleep-breathing problem, researchers said on Monday. The only sure way to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea…
23 February 2005
NewsWriting out feelings helps, but not for asthma
Although expressing ones emotions through writing has numerous documented health benefits, it appears to do little to ease asthma, new study findings show. This research contradicts an earlier, but smaller, study that…
