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To examine long-term effects of neonatal caffeine therapy for apnea of prematurity, researchers evaluated 5-year outcomes in 1640 preterm infants (birth weight, 500–1250 g) who had been randomized to receive caffeine or placebo after birth between 1999 and 2004 in an international study. In a previous analysis of outcomes at 18 to 21 months (JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Nov 7 2007), caffeine was associated with reduced exposure to positive airway pressure and supplemental oxygen, reduced rates of neonatal morbidities, and improved survival without impairment (cerebral palsy, cognitive delay, hearing loss, blindness).
At 5 years, the combined primary outcome of death or survival with severe disability (cognitive or motor impairment, behavioral prob…