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OBJECTIVE: Extremely low gestational age neonates have very low oxygen saturation in utero and an immature antioxidant defense system. Abrupt increases in oxygen saturation after birth may cause oxidative stress. We compared achievement of a targeted oxygen saturation of 85% at 10 minutes of life when resuscitation was initiated with low or high fractions of inspired oxygen and levels were adjusted according to preductal pulse oxygen saturation values. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, clinical trial was performed in 2 level III neonatal referral units. Patients of 85%. Preductal pulse oxygen saturation was continuously monitored. RESULTS: The fraction of inspired oxygen in the low-oxygen group was increased stepwise to 45% and that in the high-oxygen group was reduced to 45% to reach a stable pulse oxygen saturation of approximately 85% at 5 to 7 minutes in both groups. No differences in oxygen saturation in minute-to-minute registers were found independent of the initial fraction of inspired oxygen used 4 minutes after cord clamping. No differences in mortality rates in the early neonatal period were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Resuscitation can be safely initiated for extremely low gestational age neonates with a low fraction of inspired oxygen (approximately 30%), which then should be adjusted to the infant's needs, reducing the oxygen load to the neonate.
Escrig et al. (Thu,) studied this question.