Issues in neonatal and pediatric oxygen therapy.

This article reviews the complex physiology of oxygen transport in the fetus and neonate, and how it differs from the older pediatric patient and adult. The common causes of respiratory distress unique to the neonatal and pediatric populations are reviewed in detail, including a brief discussion regarding the different modes of mechanical ventilation used in neonates. The increased susceptibility of infants to the toxic effects of oxygen is reviewed.