[Effectiveness of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation in the treatment of lung hypoplasia in connection with intrauterine growth retardation and maternal pre-eclampsia].

The authors examine in a retrospective study the effectivity of high frequency oscillatory ventilation in group of intrauterine retardated babies with clinical signs of lung hypoplasia. During one year period they treated 12 intrauterine retarded patients with high frequency oscillatory ventilation because of failure of conventional ventilation. The indications were in seven cases the high pCO2 level and in five ones low saturation in spite of surfactant administration. The birth weight of babies were between 770 grams and 2150 grams, and theirs gestational age between 29 and 35 weeks. Four patients died. The causes of death were in two cases severe cardiomyopathy and at two patients intraventricular haemorrhage. Two survivors are suffering of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. They suggest that immediate high frequency ventilation reduces the period of mechanical ventilation and the number of residual picture. They suggest, that lung hypoplasia is an underestimated diagnosis in intrauterine retardated babies. If the cause of respiratory failure in cases complicated with maternal preeclampsia is not only hyaline membrane disease it is necessary to look for signs of lung hypoplasia and to follow the treatment with high frequency oscillatory ventilation.