Timing of surfactant treatment in respiratory distress syndrome.

The introduction of exogenous surfactant in the 1980s has resulted in an improved survival of very preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Randomized controlled trials conducted before 2000 have shown that the magnitude of this beneficial effect strongly depends on the timing of surfactant treatment, i.e. the earlier surfactant is administered after birth the better. However, the initial mode of respiratory support in infants with RDS has changed dramatically over the last decades, moving from invasive to non-invasive support. Furthermore, new, less invasive techniques to administer surfactant have been introduced to match this non-invasive approach. This review summarizes the evidence on how these practice changes impacted the effect of surfactant timing on mortality and morbidity in preterm infants with RDS.