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Preterm neonates born at less than 30 weeks' gestation are commonly maintained on invasive or non-invasive respiratory support to facilitate gas exchange. While non-invasive respiratory support (NIS) can be gradually reduced over time as the infant grows, most weaning strategies often lead to weaning failure. This failure is evidenced by an increase in significant events such as apneas, desaturations, and/or bradycardias, increased work of breathing, or an inability to oxygenate or ventilate, resulting in escalated respiratory support. Although the optimal approach to weaning NIS remains uncertain, neonatal units that delay Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) weaning until 32-34 weeks corrected gestational age exhibit lower rates of chronic lung disease. Therefore, the investigators aim to compare the duration on respiratory support and oxygen exposure in infants born at less than 30 weeks' gestational age who undergo a structured weaning protocol that includes remaining on CPAP until at least 32-34 weeks corrected gestational age (CGA). The hypothesis posits that preterm infants following a structured weaning protocol, including maintaining CPAP until a specific gestational age, will demonstrate lower rates of weaning failure off CPAP (defined as requiring more support and/or experiencing increased stimulation events 72 hours after CPAP weaning) than those managed according to the medical team's discretion.
Tracheal intubation in the NICU is frequently complicated by severe oxygen desaturation. Apneic oxygenation, a method of applying free flowing oxygen via nasal cannula to apneic patients undergoing intubation, prevents or delays oxygen desaturation during intubation in adults and older children. We propose to enroll patients at two sites (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) in a randomized trial in infants undergoing intubation in the NICU to determine if apneic oxygenation, compared with no respiratory support or oxygen during laryngoscopy and intubation attempts (standard care), reduces the magnitude of oxygen desaturation during tracheal intubation encounters.