Dexamethasone therapy in severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Seven ventilator-dependent infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia were treated with dexamethasone. Six of the seven infants were extubated within 12 days of commencing the dexamethasone, whilst the remaining infant continued to need respiratory support for apnoea, despite significant improvement in the pulmonary disease. All infants survived; although only two were neurologically intact. Of the other five survivors, two had mild developmental delay, two were blind (secondary to retinopathy of prematurity) and the other had a spastic quadriplegia (secondary to bilateral periventricular leukomalacia).