National audit of neonatal intubation practices.

Sir, Advances in neonatology have resulted in more premature infants surviving. These infants often require emergency intubation at birth, periods of prolonged ventilation or suffer complications of prematurity (infection, NEC) and may need to be reintubated for a variety of reasons. Despite the widespread recognition that awake intubations are poorly tolerated by neonates, 1,2 the practice of intubations without premedication continues in semi-elective situations.