Developmental outcome in extremely premature infants. Impact of surfactant.

Advances in neonatology, particularly surfactant, have enabled us to significantly improve mortality in the extremely low-birth-weight prematurely born infant. The impact on morbidity remains less clear but decidedly optimistic as the preponderance of the data currently available suggests that although we have not improved outcome in this high-risk group of infants, neither have we increased the percentage of infants with significant impairments. But overall morbidity remains high, especially for the smallest and earliest survivors. There is a growing body of research that supports the idea that with modification of the stressful impact of the NICU environment on the physiologically unstable and vulnerable premature infant, we may be able to improve developmental outcome. We are already seeing even very small infants extubated at a younger age and ready for discharge home well before their originally anticipated "due date." Within this setting we have unequalled opportunity to positively impact development by caring for the infants in a supportive environment that integrates parents as primary caretakers who are comfortable and competent at the time of the infant's discharge home. Further research endeavors should be enlightening in this regard.