Preterm factors influencing surfactant deficiency

Neonatal care of very low birth weight pre-term infants in the 1990's in Sweden

Refinement of optimal neonatal intensive care for the very pre-term infants with risk of developing neonatal complications including retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has been under development since the late 1980's. During the last decade better methods for supporting the respiration including surfactant treatment has contributed to the increased survival rate which today is more than 50% for infants born between 24 and 28 completed weeks of gestation. Improvement in the 'environmental engineering' in the neonatal intensive care unit is necessary to improve the longterm outcome regarding disabilities and handicaps including ROP. Clinical research in neonatology clearly shows that a high quality medical and nursing care is required for these infants.

Neonatal intensive care. When and where is it justified?

There is a wide panorama of disorders in the newborn infant where neonatal intensive care has been proven effective in reducing mortality. Although modern neonatal intensive care can be very costly, short and simple interventions for support and resuscitation still can be highly beneficial. In reviewing the field of neonatal intensive care during the 1980s, it becomes evident that a major challenge for the future will be to apply physiological principles of great and proven value for the newborn baby to more simple devices. Only thereby can the technology of neonatal care defined as a complex of actions-not only equipment and techniques-become justified for future generations.