Study shows how to boost lung health of premature babies

NEW DELHI: Extending continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) -- a type of breathing device -- for two weeks among premature babies, can help in their lung growth, finds a study.

Lungs of premature babies, born before the 37th week of pregnancy, are not fully formed and this leads to altered lung development and breathing issues that can last longer, into adulthood.

Researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University in the US found that extending CPAP treatment for two weeks can help increase "lung volume and lung diffusion capacity".

While the treatment is commonly used for preterm infants suffering from breathing issues, the team noted "there is no consensus on optimal treatment length when the preterm infant is doing well".

"Extending CPAP treatment may be a simple and safe approach to improving preterm infant lung function and breathing in the absence of a lung growth therapy," said Cindy T. McEvoy, Professor of paediatrics at Oregon.

"The study’s findings solidify CPAP treatment as beneficial for preterm infants without requiring pharmaceuticals," she added.

For the study, the team kept a group of preterm infants on CPAP treatment for an additional two weeks. Six months later, the preemies who received the extra treatment had larger, healthier lungs than those who did not.

The findings, to be present at the ongoing Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2024 Meeting, in Toronto, can help clinicians determine an appropriate length of treatment.