New Research Reveals Effective Method to Enhance Lung Development in Preterm Infants

A recent clinical trial conducted at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) has unveiled a promising treatment protocol aimed at improving lung growth and functionality in preterm infants. The findings, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, highlight the benefits of extending the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for an additional two weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Preterm births, which account for approximately 10% of all births in the United States, or around 400,000 infants each year, are known to significantly impact lung development. This can lead to long-term respiratory issues such as wheezing, asthma, and increased hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses as these children grow older.

While CPAP therapy is a standard practice for treating infants with respiratory distress, the question of its optimal duration remains unresolved. Typically, CPAP is discontinued once an infant shows no immediate signs of breathing difficulties. However, the recent study suggests that extending this therapy could yield substantial benefits.

Under the leadership of Dr. Cindy McEvoy, a professor of pediatrics at OHSU, the study involved a randomized controlled trial with 100 preterm infants. The results indicated that those who received an extended two-week course of CPAP exhibited significantly improved lung volumes--an essential indicator of lung growth--when assessed at six months post-discharge from the NICU. Furthermore, these infants demonstrated enhanced oxygen and carbon dioxide diffusion capabilities, along with improved airway function.

Notably, the infants who received the extended CPAP treatment showed a decreased incidence of wheezing by their first birthday, suggesting that prolonged CPAP may confer lasting benefits for respiratory health.

In light of these findings, OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital has begun to implement this adjusted CPAP protocol for preterm infants, reporting positive outcomes. Additionally, various NICUs across the country are reassessing their CPAP protocols based on the study's insights.

Future research is warranted to further determine the ideal duration of CPAP treatment, especially for extremely low birth weight infants. Long-term follow-ups will be essential to ascertain whether this treatment can enhance the respiratory health of individuals born preterm, potentially protecting them from chronic lung conditions later in life.

Dr. Dmitry Dukhovny, medical director of the NICU at OHSU Doernbecher, emphasized the accessibility and ease of implementing this intervention, given that CPAP is already a standard tool in NICUs. The ultimate goal is to provide children with the best possible start in life, and these findings offer a straightforward improvement to existing treatment protocols that could significantly enhance lung development in vulnerable infants.