How much oxygen do very premature babies need after birth?

 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 studies will be important to confirm this finding, and that even when starting with high oxygen, it needs to be adjusted to lower levels quickly to avoid hyperoxia (oxygen poisoning).

How the oxygen is delivered during the first 10 minutes of the infant's life is critical. Doctors may give the baby high levels of oxygen at the start but then monitor vital signs and continually adjust the oxygen to avoid over or under exposure.

If confirmed in future studies, the findings challenge current international recommendations that suggest giving preterm babies the same amount of oxygen as babies born at term, 21 percent to 30 percent oxygen (room air), rather than extra oxygen.

This study also demonstrates that there may not be a one-size-fits-all approach, and babies born prematurely may have different needs than babies born at term.

Worldwide, over 13 million babies are born prematurely each year, and close to 1 million die shortly after birth.

Source: ScienceDaily