Initial Paco2 Values at One Hour in Very Low-Birthweight Infants(VLBW)< 1000g and Oxygen Requirement at 28 days: Are Delivery Room Events Important? † 1122

Recent observational studies suggest a relationship between low Paco2 values in the mechanically ventilated VLBW infants and neonatal morbidity, i.e., chronic lung disease. Permissive hypercapnia has been advocated as one approach to minimize such lung injury. However, the time of initiating such a strategy and factor (s) that influence postnatal Paco2 values are not well characterized. The study objective was to determine the effect of delivery room resuscitation on early Paco2 levels and the relation to O2 requirement at 28 days in VLBW infants 40 (n=42, 43%) (m=46.8&#177;6.3mmHg), ≥45(n=23, 24%) (m=50.6&#177;6.4mmHg). 19 patients (20%) had Paco2 0.05) respectively. The lowest Paco2 values were following abruption(m=23&#177;7mmHg) and multiple gestation (m=32&#177;12mmHg). Of infants with Paco2