1.3 Other clinical benefits
Patent ductus arteriosus(PDA) is one of the postnatal risk factors for
the development of BPD37. A prospective multicenter
study of very preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome
confirmed that the early initiation of caffeine was associated with the
reduced occurrence of PDA38. In a retrospective cohort
of 140 newborns weighing ≤ 1250 g at birth, early caffeine treatment was
also found to reduce PDA requiring treatment in preterm
infants22. In addition, active substances on the
alveolar surface are closely associated with lung maturation. Fehrholz
et al. demonstrated that caffeine enhanced the role of glucocorticoids
in promoting the production, maturation and release of alveolar surface
active substances both in vivo and in vitro in premature sheep with
bronchoalveolar lavage solution39.