Clinical trials of synthetic surfactant in the respiratory distress syndrome of premature infants.

This article outlines the controlled clinical trials that have been performed with synthetic surfactant preparations in the management of premature newborn infants. The results have shown impressive reductions of mortality and in the incidence of air-leak complications. Complications appear to be few and mild, although the occurrence of pulmonary hemorrhage is increased in very small infants. The 1- and 2-year follow-up data suggest that there is not an increase in the number of impaired surviving children.