Trial of a Limited Versus Traditional Oxygen Strategy During Resuscitation in Premature Newborns

Preterm infants are born with immature lungs and often require help with breathing shortly after birth. This traditionally involves administering 100% oxygen. Unfortunately, delivery of high oxygen concentrations leads to the production of free radicals that can injure many organ systems. Term and near-term newborns deprived of oxygen during or prior to birth respond as well or better to resuscitation with room air (21% oxygen) compared to 100% oxygen. However, a static concentration of 21% oxygen may be inappropriate for preterm infants with lung disease.Purpose of the study is to investigate if preterm neonates where resuscitation is initiated with 21% fiO2 and adjusted to meet transitional goal saturations (Limited oxygen strategy or LOX) would have less oxidative stress as measured by the oxidative balance ratio of biological antioxidant potential/total hydroperoxide compared to infants where resuscitation is initiated with pure oxygen and titrated for targeted saturations of 85-94% (Traditional oxygen strategy or TOX). Secondary outcomes of interest included need for other delivery room resuscitation measures, respiratory support and ventilation/oxygenation status upon neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, survival to hospital discharge, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and other short-term morbidities.