Neurological function of immature babies after surfactant replacement therapy.

Surfactant replacement therapy in patients with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a new therapeutic approach. There is now convincing evidence that the incidence and severity of RDS can be reduced. Surfactant (CUROSURF) was intratracheally applied to a group of fifteen intubated preterm infants with severe RDS (29 +/- 2.1 weeks of gestation and 1204 +/- 301 g birth weight) at 9.1 +/- 2.5 hours of life. For detection of potential neurological risk we performed serial ultrasound examinations (US), serial measurements of Creatine-Kinase Isoenzyme levels (CK-BB) looking for the presence of human antibodies to different brain antigens (BSA) as markers for neonatal cerebral injury. Using these diagnostic methods, there was no evidence of any negative influence of surfactant therapy on cerebral function of treated preterm infants.