Oxygen as a neonatal health hazard: call for détente in clinical practice

• Published in: Acta Paediatrica Vol. 96; no. 6; pp. 801 - 812
• Main Authors: Sola, Augusto, Rogido, Marta R, Deulofeut, Richard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2007
• Subjects: Aging; Animals; Brain - drug effects; Brain - growth & development; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia - chemically induced; DNA Damage; Female; Health hazard; Hemoglobins - metabolism; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Male; Neonatal oxygenation; Oxidative Stress; Oxygen - adverse effects; Oxygen - metabolism; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy - adverse effects; Pulse oximetry; Radical oxygen species; Resuscitation - methods; Retinopathy of prematurity; Retinopathy of Prematurity - chemically induced; Sepsis - complications; Sepsis - metabolism; Sex Factors
• ISSN: 0803-5253; 1651-2227
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00287.x

Education in oxygenation and in how oxygen is given to newborns needs to increase. Treatment with oxygen should no longer be considered proverbial and customary, regardless of our ‘past experience’ or consensus recommendations in clinical guidelines, since oxygen may lead to acute or chronic health effects. Conclusion: Inappropriate oxygen use is a neonatal health hazard associated with aging, DNA damage and cancer, retinopathy of prematurity, injury to the developing brain, infection and others. Neonatal exposure to pure O2, even if brief, or to pulse oximetry >95% when breathing supplemental O2 must be avoided as much as possible.