Overview of assisted ventilation in the newborn

Respiratory support of the newborn is an integral part of newborn care. This can be provided non-invasively using a nasal interface, or invasively through an endotracheal tube. The choice of support depends upon the infant's respiratory drive, severity of lung disease and airway patency. Current practice of mechanical ventilation to assist spontaneous breathing in newborn has improved over the years. The utilization of microprocessor technology in newborn ventilation has allowed delivering small tidal volumes and utilising newer modes of ventilation that have a potential to limit ventilation induced lung injury (VILI). However, optimizing respiratory support to match the needs of the babies still remains a challenge and newer modes of ventilation need to be assessed in babies through well-designed trials.