High-Risk Infant and Preterm Infant Program

This is a specialized program with the primary goal of preventing or minimizing long-term respiratory consequences of preterm birth as well as severe respiratory disease in preterm infants and high-risk full term infants.

Chronic lung disease (CLD) of infancy represents the final common pathway of a heterogeneous group of pulmonary disorders that start in the neonatal period. CLD of infancy results from lung injury related prematurity, surfactant deficiency, use of high concentrations of oxygen and mechanical ventilation. With increased survival in extremely premature and very low birth weight infants, the prevalence of CLD of infancy has been rising. Depending on the severity of the disease, some of these infants may be discharged home from the hospital on supplemental oxygen or even with tracheostomy tubes and home ventilators. They remain at high risk for pulmonary morbidity and mortality from repeated pulmonary infection during the first 2 years of life.

The emphasis of our High-Risk Infant and Preterm Infant Program focuses on disease prevention and aggressive management of high-risk conditions such as apnea, wheezing in infancy, and gastroesophageal reflux disease/aspiration syndrome. The practice also runs an RSV prophylaxis program and administers SynagisTM.