[Care of the newborn infant with respiratory distress syndrome using continuous negative pressure. 5 years' experience].

Continuous Negative Pressure (CNP) was utilized as sole form of respiratory assistance in the treatment of 40 newborn infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). The average duration of CNP therapy was less than 7 days in all cases. 38 of these infants survived without sequelae (95%); an infant developed severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (2.5%); another infant died from intracranial hemorrhage (2.5%). CNP appears to be an effective respiratory support in the treatment of neonatal RDS, when used early in spontaneously breathing infants weighing greater than 1500 grams.