Ev. Cosmi et al., SURFACTANT ADMINISTRATION TO THE HUMAN FETUS IN-UTERO - A NEW APPROACH TO PREVENTION OF NEONATAL RESPIRATORY-DISTRESS SYNDROME (RDS), Journal of perinatal medicine, 24(2), 1996, pp. 191-193
Supplementary surfactant (80 mg in 1 ml) was administered intra-amniot
ically in proximity of the fetal mouth to 4 preterm fetuses (28 to 32
wks) with immature amniotic fluid indexes and whose delivery was immin
ent. Administration was preceded by a aminophylline infusion (loading
dose of 240 mg and maintenance of 0.8 mg/kg/min) to the mother in orde
r to elicit sustained fetal breathing movements. Following delivery by
cesarean section, the absence of signs of respiratory distress in the
infants along with a completely uneventful clinical course suggests t
hat the present therapeutic approach has great potential for becoming
a reliable option for the antenatal prevention of RDS.