Antepartum aminophylline treatment for prevention of the respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants.

The frequency of idiopathic respiratory distress (IRD) among premature offspring born of women who were given aminophylline before the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy was evaluated. Sixty-seven premature deliveries were included in the aminophylline group and 75 in the control group. The perinatal death rate was 7.1% in the aminophylline group and 17.9% in the control group (p less than 0.05). A statistically significant difference was noted between the aminophylline and control groups in the frequency of IRD which was three times lower (10%) in the aminophylline group than in the control group (29.5%) for the total of premature infants. If the time of rupture of membranes is taken into consideration, a significant decrease in the frequency of IRD following aminophylline administration is noted in the infants, whose mothers had ruptured membranes for more than 24 hours. No complications or side effects of aminophylline administration were noted in the mothers or their infants.