Noninvasive Respiratory Support or Intubation during Stabilization after Birth and Neonatal and Neurodevelopmental...

To examine the association between noninvasive respiratory support (NRS) or tracheal intubation (TI) during stabilization in infants born at 23-25 weeks of gestation and severe brain injury (sBI) or death, and significant neurodevelopmental impairment (sNDI).

A retrospective cohort study of infants born at 23°^/7-25^6/7 weeks of gestation in Canada. We compared infants successfully managed with NRS or TI during 30 minutes after birth. The primary outcomes were sBI or death before discharge, and sNDI among survivors with follow-up data at 18-24 months corrected age. The associations between exposures and outcomes were assessed using logistic regression models, and propensity score-matched analyses.

The mean (SD) of gestational age and birth weight were 24.6 (0.6), 24.3 (0.7) weeks [P < .01], and 757 (173), 705 (130) grams [P < .01] in the NRS, and tracheal intubation (TI) groups, respectively, and 77% of infants in the NRS group were intubated by 7 days of age. sBI or death occurred in 25% (283/1118), and 36% (722/2012) of infants in the NRS and TI groups, respectively (aOR and 95% CI 0.74 [0.60, 0.91]). Among survivors with follow-up data, sNDI occurred in 17% (96/551), and 23% (218/937) of infants in the NRS and TI groups, respectively (aOR [95% CI] 0.77 [0.60, 0.99]). In the propensity score-matched analyses (NRS vs TI), results were consistent for sBI or death (OR [95% CI] 0.72 [0.60, 0.86]), but not for sNDI (OR [95% CI] 0.78 [0.58, 1.05]).

Infants born at 23-25 weeks who were successfully managed with NRS, compared with TI, in the first 30 minutes after birth had lower odds of sBI or death before discharge, but had no significant differences in neurodevelopmental outcomes among survivors.