Prolonged intubation of neonates.

As the capabilities of modern medicine allow the survival of babies with increasingly lower gestational ages and birth weights, there is an increasing concern regarding the development of subglottic stenosis in those infants subjected to prolonged intubation. In this study, the general safety of neonatal intubation is assessed by a retrospective analysis of neonates who required intubation at Columbus (Ohio) Children's Hospital during a three-year period from 1977 to 1980. Of 343 surviving neonates, five (1.5%) developed clinically significant subglottic stenosis. The conclusion of this study is that endotracheal intubation is a safe method of airway management in neonates, even when used for extended periods.