A population-based evaluation of sustained mechanical ventilation of newborn babies.
The scope and impact of sustained assisted ventilation were investigated within a cohort of 11,061 babies born to a geographically defined community. 76 (0.7%) normally formed newborn infants and 3 with major anomalies had respiratory failure potentially treatable by mechanical ventilation. 31 (0.3%) weighed less than 1000 g. 28 infants underwent more than 8 hours' assisted ventilation, which was initiated as an emergency in 14 cases, as an elective measure to minimise the hazards of transport in 10, and as a therapeutic option for apnoea in 4. Pneumothorax requiring drainage complicated the ventilation of 10 infants, 7 of whom died and 2 were subsequently disabled. Of the 14 ventilated survivors examined at school age, 2 had serious persisting disabilities associated with the ventilation and 2 with other perinatal events; of the 10 considered normal, 5 had had emergency ventilation.
D002675:Child, Preschool; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007385:Intermittent Positive-Pressure Ventilation / Q000009:adverse effects; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000209:etiology; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000009:adverse effects; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000628:therapy*