[Noninvasive ventilation of premature infants]

In a retrospective study we evaluated a one year use of nasal continuous positive pressure in our intensive care neonatal unit. One hundred and twelve newborns with a mean gestational age of 30.8 weeks were treated with this technique: 41 were treated early after birth for moderate respiratory; 71 were treated later, either following extubation and assisted ventilation, or as treatment of apnoeas. The main adverse effects were bowel gaseous distension and delayed oral nutrition. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure reduced the duration of intubation and assisted ventilation and could be used more frequently as early first line treatment in respiratory distress.