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Background: Neonatal endotracheal intubation often involves more than one attempt, and oxygen desaturation is common. It is unclear whether nasal high-flow therapy, which extends the time to desaturation during elective intubation in children and adults receiving general anesthesia, can improve the likelihood of successful neonatal intubation on the first attempt.Methods: We performed a randomized, controlled trial to compare nasal high-flow therapy with standard care (no nasal high-flow therapy or supplemental oxygen) in neonates undergoing oral endotracheal intubation at two Australian tertiary neonatal intensive care units. Randomization of intubations to the high-flow group or the standard-care group was stratified according to trial center, the use of premedication for intubation (yes or no), and postmenstrual age of the infant (≤28 or >28 weeks). The primary outcome was successful intubation on the first attempt without physiological instability (defined as an absolute decrease in the peripheral oxygen saturation of >20% from the preintubation baseline level or bradycardia with a heart rate of <100 beats per minute) in the infant.Results: The primary intention-to-treat analysis included the outcomes of 251 intubations in 202 infants; 124 intubations were assigned to the high-flow group and 127 to the standard-care group. The infants had a median postmenstrual age of 27.9 weeks and a median weight of 920 g at the time of intubation. A successful intubation on the first attempt without physiological instability was achieved in 62 of 124 intubations (50.0%) in the high-flow group and in 40 of 127 intubations (31.5%) in the standard-care group (adjusted risk difference, 17.6 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.0 to 29.2), for a number needed to treat of 6 (95% CI, 4 to 17) for 1 infant to benefit. Successful intubation on the first attempt regardless of physiological stability was accomplished in 68.5% of the intubations in the high-flow group and in 54.3% of the intubations in the standard-care group (adjusted risk difference, 15.8 percentage points; 95% CI, 4.3 to 27.3).Conclusions: Among infants undergoing endotracheal intubation at two Australian tertiary neonatal intensive care units, nasal high-flow therapy during the procedure improved the likelihood of successful intubation on the first attempt without physiological instability in the infant. (Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number, ACTRN12618001498280.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To identify current 'Golden Hour' practices for initial stabilisation of very preterm infants <32 weeks' gestational age (GA) within tertiary neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network (ANZNN). Methods: A 76‐question survey regarding delivery room (DR) and NICU stabilisation practices was distributed electronically to directors of tertiary perinatal NICUs in the ANZNN in January 2019. Responses were categorised into GA subgroups: 23–24, 25–27 and 28–31 weeks' GA. Results: The response rate was 100% (24/24 units). Delayed cord clamping (DCC) was practised 'always' or 'often' by 21 units (88%). All units used oximetry to target oxygen saturations, and 23/24 (96%) commenced resuscitation in <40% oxygen. Ten units (42%) routinely used DR electrocardiography monitoring. CPAP was preferred as primary respiratory support in one‐third of units for infants born 23–24 weeks' GA, compared with 19 units (79%) at 25–27 weeks' GA and 23 units (96%) at 28–31 weeks' GA. DR skin‐to‐skin care was uncommon, particularly at lower GAs. Five units (21%) used minimally invasive surfactant therapy for non‐intubated infants at 23–24 weeks' GA, 13 units (54%) at 25–27 weeks' GA and 16 units (67%) at 28–31 weeks' GA. Conclusions: Most Golden Hour stabilisation practices align with international guidelines. Consistency exists with respect to DCC, oxygen saturation targeting and primary CPAP use for infants 25 weeks' GA and above. Where evidence is less certain, practices vary across ANZNN NICUs. Time targets for stabilisation measures may help standardise practice for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the regional ventilation characteristics during non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in stable preterm infants. The secondary aim was to explore the relationship between indicators of ventilation homogeneity and other clinical measures of respiratory status.Design: Prospective observational study.Setting: Two tertiary neonatal intensive care units.Patients: Forty stable preterm infants born <30 weeks of gestation receiving either continuous positive airway pressure (n=32) or high-flow nasal cannulae (n=8) at least 24 hours after extubation at time of study.Interventions: Continuous electrical impedance tomography imaging of regional ventilation during 60 min of quiet breathing on clinician-determined non-invasive settings.Main Outcome Measures: Gravity-dependent and right-left centre of ventilation (CoV), percentage of whole lung tidal volume (VT) by lung region and percentage of lung unventilated were determined for 120 artefact-free breaths/infant (4770 breaths included). Oxygen saturation, heart and respiratory rates were also measured.Results: Ventilation was greater in the right lung (mean 69.1 (SD 14.9)%) total VT and the gravity-non-dependent (ND) lung; ideal-actual CoV 1.4 (4.5)%. The central third of the lung received the most VT, followed by the non-dependent and dependent regions (p<0.0001 repeated-measure analysis of variance). Ventilation inhomogeneity was associated with worse peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2)/fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) (p=0.031, r2 0.12; linear regression). In those infants that later developed bronchopulmonary dysplasia (n=25), SpO2/FiO2 was worse and non-dependent ventilation inhomogeneity was greater than in those that did not (both p<0.05, t-test Welch correction).Conclusions: There is high breath-by-breath variability in regional ventilation patterns during NIV in preterm infants. Ventilation favoured the ND lung, with ventilation inhomogeneity associated with worse oxygenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the opinions of parents of newborns following their infant's enrolment into a neonatal research study through the process of deferred consent.Design: Mixed-methods, observational study, interviewing 100 parents recently approached for deferred consent.Setting: Tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit, Melbourne, Australia.Results: All 100 parents interviewed had consented to the study/studies using deferred consent; 62% had also experienced a prospective neonatal consent process. Eighty-nine per cent were 'satisfied' with the deferred consent process. The most common reason given for consenting was 'to help future babies'. Negative comments regarding deferred consent mostly related to the timing of the consent approach, and some related to a perceived loss of parental rights. A deferred approach was preferred by 51%, 24% preferred a prospective approach and 25% were unsure. Those who thought prospective consent would not have been preferable cited impaired decision-making, inappropriate timing of an approach before birth and their preference for removal of the decision-making burden via deferred consent. Seventy-seven per cent thought they would have given the same response if approached prospectively; those who would have declined reported that a prospective approach under stressful conditions was unwelcome and too overwhelming.Conclusion: In our sample, 89% of parents of infants enrolled in neonatal research using deferred consent considered it acceptable and half would not have preferred prospective consent. The ability to make a more considered decision under less stressful circumstances was key to the acceptability of deferred consent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To measure the nasal gas flow in infants treated with bubble continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and compare it with commonly used flows during nasal high flow (nHF) treatment.Design: This is a prospective, single-centre study. Bubble CPAP pressure was measured at the nasal prongs. Set gas flow was reduced until bubbling in the water chamber just ceased. Set gas flow without bubbling then approximated flow entering the infant's nose ('delivered flow').Setting: Neonatal intensive care at The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.Patients: Clinically stable preterm infants receiving bubble CPAP therapy.Main Outcome Measure: Delivered flow (L/min) when bubbling stopped at a range of clinically set CPAP pressures (cm H2O).Results: Forty-four infants were studied, with a mean (SD) gestational age at birth of 28.4 (2.2) weeks and birth weight of 1154 (419) g. At the time of the study, infants had a median (IQR) age of 4.5 (2-12) days and a mean (SD) weight of 1205 (407) g. Delivered flow ranged from 0.5 to 9.0 L/min, and increased with higher set CPAP pressures (median 3.5 L/min at CPAP 5 cm H2O vs 6.3 L/min at CPAP 8 cm H2O) and heavier weights (median 3.5 L/min in infants <1000 g vs 6.5 L/min for infants >1500 g).Conclusions: Nasal gas flows during bubble CPAP in preterm infants are similar to flows used during nHF and increase with higher set bubble CPAP pressures and in larger infants. Trial registration number ACTRN12619000197134. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This review examined how applicable national and regional clinical practice guidelines and recommendations for managing neonates born to mothers with COVID‐19 mothers were to the evolving pandemic. Methods: A systematic search and review identified 20 guidelines and recommendations that had been published by May 25, 2020. We analysed documents from 17 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the United States. Results: The documents were based on expert consensus with limited evidence and were of variable, low methodological rigour. Most did not provide recommendations for delivery methods or managing symptomatic infants. None provided recommendations for post‐discharge assimilation of potentially infected infants into the community. The majority encouraged keeping mothers and infants together, subject to infection control measures, but one‐third recommended separation. Although breastfeeding or using breastmilk was widely encouraged, two countries specifically prohibited this. Conclusion: The guidelines and recommendations for managing infants affected by COVID‐19 were of low, variable quality and may be unsustainable. It is important that transmission risks are not increased when new information is incorporated into clinical recommendations. Practice guidelines should emphasise the extent of uncertainty and clearly define gaps in the evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: Preterm infants must establish regular respirations at delivery. Sustained inflations may establish lung volume faster than short inflations.Objective: To determine whether a ventilation strategy including sustained inflations, compared with standard intermittent positive pressure ventilation, reduces bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or death at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age without harm in extremely preterm infants.Design, Setting, and Participants: Unmasked, randomized clinical trial (August 2014 to September 2017, with follow-up to February 15, 2018) conducted in 18 neonatal intensive care units in 9 countries. Preterm infants 23 to 26 weeks' gestational age requiring resuscitation with inadequate respiratory effort or bradycardia were enrolled. Planned enrollment was 600 infants. The trial was stopped after enrolling 426 infants, following a prespecified review of adverse outcomes.Interventions: The experimental intervention was up to 2 sustained inflations at maximal peak pressure of 25 cm H2O for 15 seconds using a T-piece and mask (n = 215); standard resuscitation was intermittent positive pressure ventilation (n = 211).Main Outcome and Measures: The primary outcome was the rate of BPD or death at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age. There were 27 prespecified secondary efficacy outcomes and 7 safety outcomes, including death at less than 48 hours.Results: Among 460 infants randomized (mean [SD] gestational age, 25.30 [0.97] weeks; 50.2% female), 426 infants (92.6%) completed the trial. In the sustained inflation group, 137 infants (63.7%) died or survived with BPD vs 125 infants (59.2%) in the standard resuscitation group (adjusted risk difference [aRD], 4.7% [95% CI, -3.8% to 13.1%]; P = .29). Death at less than 48 hours of age occurred in 16 infants (7.4%) in the sustained inflation group vs 3 infants (1.4%) in the standard resuscitation group (aRD, 5.6% [95% CI, 2.1% to 9.1%]; P = .002). Blinded adjudication detected an imbalance of rates of early death possibly attributable to resuscitation (sustained inflation: 11/16; standard resuscitation: 1/3). Of 27 secondary efficacy outcomes assessed by 36 weeks' postmenstrual age, 26 showed no significant difference between groups.Conclusions and Relevance: Among extremely preterm infants requiring resuscitation at birth, a ventilation strategy involving 2 sustained inflations, compared with standard intermittent positive pressure ventilation, did not reduce the risk of BPD or death at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age. These findings do not support the use of ventilation with sustained inflations among extremely preterm infants, although early termination of the trial limits definitive conclusions.Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02139800. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasal high flow (nHF) therapy is a commonly used method of providing non-invasive respiratory support for neonates. It has several potential mechanisms of action: continuous distending pressure, nasopharyngeal dead space washout, provision of heated and humidified gases and reduction of work of breathing. nHF is used in a number of clinical scenarios for preterm and term infants, including primary respiratory and post-extubation support. In recent years, large trials have generated evidence pertinent to these indications. Novel applications for nHF in neonates warrant further research: during endotracheal intubation, for initial delivery room stabilisation of preterm infants and in conjunction with minimally invasive surfactant therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Neonatal mask ventilation is a difficult skill to acquire and maintain. Mask leak is common and can lead to ineffective ventilation. The aim of this study was to determine whether newly available neonatal self-inflating bags and masks could reduce mask leak without additional load being applied to the face.Design: Forty operators delivered 1 min episodes of mask ventilation to a mannequin using the Laerdal Upright Resuscitator, a standard Laerdal infant resuscitator (Laerdal Medical) and a T-Piece Resuscitator (Neopuff), using both the Laerdal snap-fit face mask and the standard Laerdal size 0/1 face mask (equivalent sizes). Participants were asked to use pressure sufficient to achieve 'appropriate' chest rise. Leak, applied load, airway pressure and tidal volume were measured continuously. Participants were unaware that load was being recorded.Results: There was no difference in mask leak between resuscitation devices. Leak was significantly lower when the snap-fit mask was used with all resuscitation devices, compared with the standard mask (14% vs 37% leak, P<0.01). The snap-fit mask was preferred by 83% of participants. The device-mask combinations had no significant effect on applied load.Conclusions: The Laerdal Upright Resuscitator resulted in similar leak to the other resuscitation devices studied, and did not exert additional load to the face and head. The snap-fit mask significantly reduced overall leak with all resuscitation devices and was the mask preferred by participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Skin-to-skin care (SSC) has proven benefits in preterm infants, but increased hypoxic and bradycardic events have been reported. This may make clinicians hesitant to recommend SSC as standard care. We hypothesised that regional cerebral oxygenation (rStO2) measured with near infrared spectroscopy is not worse during SSC compared with standard incubator care.Design: Prospective, observational, non-inferiority study.Setting: Single tertiary perinatal centre in Australia.Patients: Forty preterm infants (median (IQR) 30.6 (29.1-31.7) weeks' gestation) not receiving respiratory support were studied on day 14 (8-38).Interventions: Recordings during 90 min of incubator care, followed by 90 min of SSC. Each infant acted as their own control and caregivers were blinded to the rStO2 measurements.Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was the mean difference in rStO2 between SSC and incubator care. The prespecified margin of non-inferiority was -1.5%. Secondary outcomes included heart rate (HR), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), time in quiet sleep, temperature and hypoxic (SpO2 <80% for >5 s) or bradycardic events (HR <80 bpm for >5 s) and time spent in cerebral hypoxia (rStO2<55%) and hyperoxia (rStO2>85%).Results: Mean (SD) rStO2 was lower during SSC compared with incubator care: 73.6 (6.0)% vs 74.8 (4.6)%, mean difference (95% CI) 1.3 (2.2 to 0.4)%. HR was 5 bpm higher, SpO2 1% lower and time in quiet sleep 24% longer during SSC. Little evidence of a difference was observed in temperature. The number of hypoxic or bradycardic events as well as the proportion of time spent in cerebral hypoxia and hyperoxia was very low in both periods.Conclusions: Mean rStO2 was marginally lower during SSC without observed differences in hypoxic or bardycardic events but an increase in time spent in quiet sleep.Trial Registration Number: This trial is linked to Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: identifier 12616000240448. It was registered pre-results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To reduce the risks of hypoxia and hyperoxia in preterm infants in the delivery room; national and international guidelines recommend titrating supplemental oxygen delivery to achieve specific oxygen saturation (SpO2) targets. Our aim was to measure the proportion of time infants <32 weeks' gestation spent within and outside prescribed SpO2 targets during the first 10 min after birth.Method: Prospective observational study using data from a preductal SpO2 sensor and oxygen analyser measuring fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) in the inspiratory limb of the respiratory circuit. Measurements of SpO2, heart rate and FiO2 were recorded every 2 s. We assessed compliance with the upper SpO2 limit only when infants were receiving supplemental oxygen. SpO2 measurements were recorded as being below, within or above the target at each time point. We measured the number of times infants were continuously below or above the target range for more than 30 s.Results: Twenty-seven infants; mean (SD) 28 (3.4) weeks and 962 (370) g were studied. Infants were below, within and above the prescribed targets for 28%, 35% and 37% of the first 10 min after birth, respectively.Conclusions: Preterm infants spent almost two-thirds of the first 10 min after birth with oxygen saturations outside prescribed target ranges. New titration strategies are required to reduce the risks of hypoxia and hyperoxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Nasal high-flow (nHF) therapy is a popular mode of respiratory support for newborn infants. Evidence for nHF use is predominantly from neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). There are no randomised trials of nHF use in non-tertiary special care nurseries (SCNs). We hypothesise that nHF is non-inferior to nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as primary support for newborn infants with respiratory distress, in the population cared for in non-tertiary SCNs. Methods and analysis The HUNTER trial is an unblinded Australian multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority trial. Infants are eligible if born at a gestational age ≥31 weeks with birth weight ≥1200 g and admitted to a participating non-tertiary SCN, are <24 hours old at randomisation and require non-invasive respiratory support or supplemental oxygen for >1 hour. Infants are randomised to treatment with either nHF or CPAP. The primary outcome is treatment failure within 72 hours of randomisation, as determined by objective oxygenation, apnoea or blood gas criteria or by a clinical decision that urgent intubation and mechanical ventilation, or transfer to a tertiary NICU, is required. Secondary outcomes include incidence of pneumothorax requiring drainage, duration of respiratory support, supplemental oxygen and hospitalisation, costs associated with hospital care, cost-effectiveness, parental stress and satisfaction and nursing workload. Ethics and dissemination Multisite ethical approval for the study has been granted by The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia (Trial Reference No. 34222), and by each participating site. The trial is currently recruiting in eight centres in Victoria and New South Wales, Australia, with one previous site no longer recruiting. The trial results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will be presented at national and international conferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Neonatal clinicians may be asked to review X-ray images when unable to directly access the original image. Transmitting an X-ray image to a smartphone is a technique increasingly being used by clinicians in a number of settings. Minimal data exist on its use in the neonatal setting. Our aim was to compare the ability of neonatal clinicians to correctly diagnose a pneumothorax from a chest radiograph (CXR) viewed on a smartphone, paralleled with the same image viewed on a computer screen.Methods: We investigated the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predicative value of two methods of viewing CXR images to diagnose pneumothorax, compared with a gold standard radiologist report. Clinicians were presented with 40 CXR images on two occasions, at least 1 week apart. Images were viewed once on a smartphone and once on a computer screen. Both the viewing method and viewing order of the images were randomised. The clinical details of the infant at the time the CXR was taken were provided, and participants were asked if a pneumothorax was present.Results: Twenty-one clinicians viewed all CXR images using both viewing methods (840 paired observations). There was no difference in accuracy of detecting pneumothorax between viewing methods, 81% correctly identified a pneumothorax using the smartphone, versus 80% using the computer screen (P = 0.40 (95% CI), difference -4 to 1.5%).Conclusion: Diagnosis of neonatal pneumothorax was as accurate using a smartphone as viewing CXR images displayed on a computer screen when clinicians were presented with X-rays with diagnosis of pneumothorax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Treatment with nasal high-flow therapy has efficacy similar to that of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) when used as postextubation support in neonates. The efficacy of high-flow therapy as the primary means of respiratory support for preterm infants with respiratory distress has not been proved.Methods: In this international, multicenter, randomized, noninferiority trial, we assigned 564 preterm infants (gestational age, ≥28 weeks 0 days) with early respiratory distress who had not received surfactant replacement to treatment with either nasal high-flow therapy or nasal CPAP. The primary outcome was treatment failure within 72 hours after randomization. Noninferiority was determined by calculating the absolute difference in the risk of the primary outcome; the chosen margin of noninferiority was 10 percentage points. Infants in whom high-flow therapy failed could receive rescue CPAP; infants in whom CPAP failed were intubated and mechanically ventilated.Results: Trial recruitment stopped early at the recommendation of the independent data and safety monitoring committee because of a significant difference in the primary outcome between treatment groups. Treatment failure occurred in 71 of 278 infants (25.5%) in the high-flow group and in 38 of 286 infants (13.3%) in the CPAP group (risk difference, 12.3 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.8 to 18.7; P<0.001). The rate of intubation within 72 hours did not differ significantly between the high-flow and CPAP groups (15.5% and 11.5%, respectively; risk difference, 3.9 percentage points; 95% CI, -1.7 to 9.6; P=0.17), nor did the rate of adverse events.Conclusions: When used as primary support for preterm infants with respiratory distress, high-flow therapy resulted in a significantly higher rate of treatment failure than did CPAP. (Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and others; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number, ACTRN12613000303741 .). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: International guidelines recommend that an appropriately sized face mask for providing positive pressure ventilation should cover the mouth and nose but not the eyes and should not overlap the chin. This study aimed to measure the dimensions of preterm infants' faces and compare these with the size of the most commonly available face masks (external diameter 50 mm) and the smallest masks available (external diameters 35 and 42 mm).Methods: Infants 24-33 weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA) were photographed in a standardised manner. Images were analysed using ImageJ software (National Institute of Health, USA) to calculate the distance from the nasofrontal groove to the mental protuberance. This facial measurement corresponds to the external diameter of an optimally fitting mask.Results: A cohort of 107 infants between 24 and 33 weeks' gestational age, including at least 10 infants per week of gestation, was photographed within 72 h after birth and weekly until 33 weeks' PMA. 347 photographs were analysed. Infants of 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32 weeks' PMA had mean (SD) facial measurements of 32 (2), 36 (3), 38 (4), 41 (2) and 43 (4) mm, respectively. There were no significant differences when examined by gender or when small for gestational age infants were excluded.Conclusions: The smallest size of some brands of mask is too large for many preterm infants. Masks of 35 mm diameter are suitable for infants <29 weeks' PMA or 1000 g. Masks of 42 mm diameter are suitable for infants 27-33 weeks' PMA or 750-2500 g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]