Humidified High Flow Oxygen For Preterm Neonates

• Using pure oxygen (PO) in neonatal resuscitation increases oxidative stress and mortality in full-term hypoxic infants. 
• International neonatal resuscitation guidelines recommend air or blended oxygen for resuscitation regardless of gestational age but this requires education and equipment that may not be globally available. 
• High Flow Therapy reduces the work of breathing – the effort required to breathe in and out - by delivering breathing gas at flow rates that exceed a baby's inspiratory demand. It is delivered through a simple loose fitting nasal cannula that is comfortable for the baby. The breathing gas is heated and humidified to make the high flow rates easy to tolerate.
• Infants are able to more effectively ventilate (exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen) on High Flow Therapy. The high flow rates of breathing gas flush out the CO₂ and fill the upper airway with fresh oxygenated gas after each breath.