Abstract
Background and Objectives: Apnea of preterm refers to a cessation of respiration lasting over twenty seconds. We conducted research to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of caffeine therapy in preterm newborns and its clinical outcomes.
Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at Neonatal intensive care unit of Raparin Pediatric Teaching Hospital and maternity/obstetric teaching hospital from February to July 2023. The study included sixty premature newborns who diagnosed with apnea. A questionnaire was designed to capture the sociodemographic characteristics of the sample. Gestational age, birth weight, place of delivery, early caffeine use (initiation within two days of life), and late caffeine use (initiation after three days of life) were investigated.
Results: The incidence of apnea varied with gestational age. The rate was 26.7% in ≤ 29 weeks. 15% in 30-31 weeks, 36.7% in 32-33 weeks, and 21.7% in 34-35 weeks. In the study sample, 60% received early caffeine therapy, and 40% received late therapy. According to survival function analysis, the early group performed better than the later one. The p-value was statistically significant (<0.001). The difference in gestational age between dead and alive premature infants on multivariate analysis showed a statistically significant difference (Wilks' Lambda test), and p-value was significant (0.044).
Conclusion: Early caffeine therapy significantly reduced the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage, Patent ductus arteriosus, Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and respiratory distress syndrome. Mortality rates were lower in the early caffeine group compared to the late group.