Extended use of caffeine may help premature infants with breathing problems, according to a study by Dr. Nilima Karamchandani, medical director of West Penn Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The study found a longer-than-usual course of caffeine helped tiny kids avoid low oxygen levels and related problems.
Caffeine has long been used to treat premature infants with breathing problems. But Karamchandani found extending treatment to 35 and 36 weeks rather than the customary 34 weeks reduced the number of hypoxia episodes by as much as 50 percent.
"We know that intermittent hypoxia occurs frequently in premature infants after we cease routine caffeine treatment," Karamchandani said in a prepared statement. "This study provides valuable information on how we can continue using caffeine to prevent hypoxia as the baby grows."