Developments in neonatal technology continue to improve infant outcomes.

The past 20 years have yielded little success in reducing prematurity rates or decreasing the major morbidities of premature infants. Determination of interventions to decrease prematurity rates, and the development of methods to reduce premature neurologic damage, are the challenges for the next 20 years. With the advent of genetic analysis and the ability to study environmental and genetic interactions, we may be on the threshold of another significant decrease in mortality and morbidity in the premature infant.