Noninvasive ventilation in the neonate.

One of the most common and concerning complications seen in low-birth-weight infants is chronic lung disease. A variety of factors have been implicated in the etiology of chronic lung disease including lung inflammation and injury. Noninvasive ventilation (NIV), a term applied to a variety of devices capable of supporting neonatal ventilation without the use of an endotracheal tube, is receiving increasing attention as means to reduce damage often incurred with mechanical ventilation. This article will review the history of continuous positive pressure ventilation and will provide an overview of some of the other types of NIV being used in neonates. The literature supporting the use of NIV is reviewed, and nursing care of the infant receiving NIV is examined.