Preterm Infants

CHOP researchers identify the bacterial pathogens most responsible for early-onset sepsis in very preterm infants.

Caffeine therapy can help premature babies breathe stronger and sooner on their own. When a group of caffeine-treated premature babies reached middle school, the therapy appeared to reduce their risk of motor impairment – building on earlier follow-ups that show the treatment's safety, efficacy, and developmental benefits for the babies at one-and-a-half years old.

Newborns’ first big journeys into the world often are to well-baby exams at pediatricians offices. These checkups usually are scheduled within the first days or weeks after discharge from the hospital, followed by exams every few months during their first year of life.

Many families of premature infants quickly become familiar with a powerful research tool called a randomized clinical trial (RCT). Neonatologists may invite them to participate in RCTs, as they investigate ways to help prevent, treat, and manage the myriad complications that can occur when these babies’ organs are not ready for life outside their mothers’ wombs.

Neonatologists at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia frequently face the intricate decision of whether to place a tracheostomy in a preterm infant with severe lung disease and when to do it. A lack of relevant literature about this procedure makes it a challenging consideration.