Alternative therapies for respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants

Abstract

There is growing interest in the use of noninvasive methods of providing respiratory support to preterm infants, especially those born at the limits of viability. This paper relates to the use of noninvasive forms of respiratory support, which could be used to treat preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Evidence is reviewed from clinical trials that have evaluated the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), nasal intermittent positive airway pressure (NIPPV), and high flow nasal cannulae (HFNC).