Neonatal Respiratory Support
A newborn's lungs may need help for hours or for weeks. Support is pitched at what the baby actually needs rather than the maximum available, and reduced as soon as they can manage more themselves. Most babies who need help need it briefly.
- Oxygen, CPAP and full ventilation available
- Support matched to need, not to capacity
- Weaned as early as it is safe
- Blood gases tested at the bedside
Stay
Days to weeks
Duration
Until the baby breathes unaided
Anaesthesia
Not applicable
About Neonatal Respiratory Support
Breathing difficulty in a newborn has several causes: immature lungs in a preterm baby, fluid not cleared after birth, infection, or difficulty at delivery. The support given ranges from a little extra oxygen, through CPAP which holds the airways open while the baby breathes, to full ventilation. Escalating and weaning are both done in steps, guided by blood gas measurements taken at the cotside.
- Several causes, from immature lungs to retained fluid
- CPAP supports breathing without taking it over
- Blood gases are measured at the cotside to guide changes
- Most babies need support for a short period only
Before you read on
Everything here is general information about neonatal respiratory support. Whether it suits you, and how it would be done in your case, is a decision for your doctor after examining you.
Your consultant's instructions always take precedence over anything written on this page.
When is it recommended?
Situations in which a doctor may suggest neonatal respiratory support.
- Preterm babies with immature lungs
- Babies with rapid or laboured breathing after birth
- Retained lung fluid after delivery
- Newborn infection affecting breathing
- Babies needing help after a difficult delivery
- Apnoea of prematurity
Procedure details
The usual sequence, from first consultation through to follow-up.
Assessment
Breathing rate, effort and oxygen levels are assessed, with a chest X-ray and blood gas where needed.
Starting support
Oxygen or CPAP is started at the level the baby needs. Full ventilation is used where breathing effort is inadequate.
Monitoring
Oxygen saturation is monitored continuously and blood gases are checked regularly to guide adjustments.
Weaning
Support is reduced step by step as the baby's own breathing improves, and stopped once they maintain it alone.
How to prepare
What to sort out before you come in.
- This is usually unplanned, so there is nothing to prepare
- Where preterm delivery is expected, steroids given to the mother beforehand help the baby's lungs considerably
- Tell the team about any infection or fever during labour
- Ask what level of support your baby is on, so you can follow the progress
Recovery
What to expect afterwards, and roughly when.
- Most babies come off support within days rather than weeks
- Weaning is done in steps, and a step back for a day is common and not a setback
- Feeding is often established only after breathing support is reduced
- Some preterm babies need oxygen at home for a period, which is arranged before discharge
- Respiratory follow-up is arranged for babies who needed prolonged support
Why choose Humayun for newborn breathing support
The equipment matters less than pitching the support at what the baby needs and weaning it promptly.
- CPAP used in preference to full ventilation wherever the baby can manage it, because less invasive support means fewer complications
- Blood gases tested at the cotside rather than sent away, so changes are made on current information
- The unit on the same floor as the labour rooms, so support starts where the baby is born
- Weaning reviewed daily rather than left running longer than needed
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More in Neonatal Services
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Care for babies born before 37 weeks, covering breathing, feeding, temperature and growth over the weeks that follow.
Low Birth Weight Newborn Care
Care for babies born under 2.5 kilograms, whether preterm or small for their gestation, focused on warmth, feeding and growth.
Neonatal Jaundice Management
Assessment and treatment of newborn jaundice, from measuring the level to phototherapy and, rarely, exchange transfusion.
Neonatal Sepsis Management
Rapid assessment and antibiotic treatment for suspected infection in a newborn, where treating early matters more than waiting for proof.
Newborn Feeding Support
Practical help with breastfeeding, expressing and tube feeding, so babies feed well before they go home.
High-Risk Newborn Monitoring
Close observation of babies at higher risk of problems, so complications are found before they become obvious.