Physiologic reflexes and their impact on resuscitation of the newborn

Most depressed newborn infants respond promptly to minimal intervention. When that does not happen, a thorough understanding of the physiologic reflexes that promote and prevent, prompt restoration of heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration is crucial. This article will review data demonstrating that lung inflation, in the purely mechanical sense, is a key element in a successful resuscitation. A complicated resuscitation is most often because of the caretaker's lack of awareness of basic cardiopulmonary physiology than to an unusually depressed infant.