Wiping versus suction to clear neonatal airways at birth

Abstract

I believe that John Kelleher and colleagues' trial (July 27, p 326)1 is unjustifiable and ethically questionable. The authors tested whether wiping of the mouth of well newborns is equivalent to routine use of oropharyngeal suction. The fundamental flaw of the trial is that routine use of oropharyngeal suction has no proven benefits and is potentially harmful.2,3 Routine suction is no longer recommended in the USA—where this trial was done. The current gold standard for routine management of the airways of the well newborn is to do nothing, which is what wiping of the mouth should have been compared with.