Surfactant therapy and intracranial hemorrhage: review of the literature and results of new analyses

Treatment with surfactant may increase the risk of intracranial hemorrhage in newborn infants with a low birth weight. Surfactant is a substance occurring naturally in the lungs that is used to treat respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants. Intracranial hemorrhage is bleeding within the cranium, or the upper part of the head. Researchers reviewed studies that examined the association between surfactant replacement therapy and intracranial hemorrhage in newborn infants. Treatment with the surfactant beractant elevated the risk of grade I or grade II intracranial hemorrhage in infants with a birth weight of 600 to 750 grams. Surfactant replacement therapy with beractant did not increase the risk of a grade III or IV intracranial hemorrhage among this group of infants. Grades I and II are less serious than grades III and IV, which may lead to neurological handicaps. Infants treated with surfactant should be monitored closely for potential complications.