Purpose: Methylxanthines are commonly used to treat apnea of prematurity. Recent studies have reported that caffeine therapy reduces the rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and improves the rate of survival in preterm infant without neuro­ developmental disabilities. This study was performed to compare the effects on apnea episodes, adverse effects and morbidity between the caffeine and th...

Apnea of prematurity (AOP) is a common concern in premature infants. Routine clinical management of the obstructive subtype involves providing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation to prevent alveolar atelectasis and pharyngeal collapse, apart from prone positioning. In central apnea, methylxanthine therapy is mainstay of treatment as it stimulates the central nervous system an...

BACKGROUND Apnea of prematurity (AOP) is a common complication of preterm birth, for which caffeine is the first treatment of choice. In case of persistent AOP, doxapram has been advocated as an additional therapy. OBJECTIVE To identify and appraise all existing evidence regarding efficacy and safety of doxapram use for AOP in infants born before 34 weeks of gestational age. METHODS All stu...

Apnea of prematurity (AOP) is a common concern in premature infants. Routine clinical management of the obstructive subtype involves providing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation to prevent alveolar atelectasis and pharyngeal collapse, apart from prone positioning. In central apnea, methylxanthine therapy is mainstay of treatment as it stimulates the central nervous system an...

Caffeine is commonly prescribed in the NICU to treat apnea of prematurity. This review is an update based on current knowledge of the mechanisms of action, pharmacologic properties, clinical effects, and safety of caffeine in the neonatal population. Recent studies of caffeine in the neonatal population confirm its efficacy in treating apnea-related symptoms and reveal additional significant be...

STUDY OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of caffeine citrate for treatment of apnea of prematurity. DESIGN Multicenter, parallel, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with open-label rescue. SETTING Nine neonatal intensive care units. PATIENTS Eighty-five infants, 28-32 weeks postconception and 24 hours or more after birth who had six or more apnea episodes within...