Giving very premature babies high concentrations of oxygen soon after birth may reduce the risk of death by 50 percent, compared to lower levels of oxygen says new research led by University of Sydney researchers. When premature babies are born, they sometimes need help breathing because their lungs haven't finished developing. To help babies during this process, doctors may give them extra oxygen through a breathing mask or breathing tube.
The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, examined clinical trial data and outcomes of over one thousand premature babies who were given different oxygen concentrations. This included low concentrations of oxygen (~30 percent), intermediate (~50-65 percent) or high (~90 percent). The study found for babies born prematurely, at less than 32 weeks (less than three quarters of the way through a full pregnancy), starting resuscitation with high concentrations of oxygen (90 percent or greater), could increase chances of survival compared to low levels (21 to 30 percent).
For comparison, the air we breathe, also known as 'room air' only has about 21 percent oxygen. When a doctor provides oxygen to babies that need help breathing, there is a device that regulates how oxygen is mixed together to reach the desired concentration. The researchers believe higher initial levels of oxygen may jump-start independent breathing, but more research is required to explore the underlying cause for this effect.
The researchers emphasise that additional large stu.