Minimally invasive surfactant therapy outcomes in infants born at 28–37 weeks’ gestation

Objective Evaluate whether minimally invasive surfactant therapy (MIST) reduces respiratory support duration in infants born at 28–37 weeks’ gestation with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Study design Retrospective cohort study of infants with RDS born between 28- 36 6/7 weeks’ gestation at a single center level III NICU between 2016-2024. MIST was implemented in 2020. Primary outcome was total days of respiratory support. Secondary outcomes included intubation rates, length of stay, corrected gestational age (cGA) at discharge, and incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Results Of 218 infants with RDS, the post MIST group had fewer days of respiratory support (8.8 vs 11 days), significantly lower rate of intubation (39% vs 100%), and shorter NICU stay (35.5 vs 41.2 days). BPD among infants <32 weeks’ gestation decreased from 43% to 29%. Conclusion MIST was associated with reduced respiratory support and hospitalization duration in this population.