Caffeine for Apnea of Prematurity

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 355; no. 9; pp. 958 - 960
• Main Authors: Coulter, David M, Hand, Ivan L, Noble, Lawrence M, Schmidt, Barbara, Roberts, Robin S, Davis, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Massachusetts Medical Society 31-08-2006
• Subjects: Apnea - drug therapy; Caffeine - adverse effects; Caffeine - therapeutic use; Central Nervous System Stimulants - adverse effects; Central Nervous System Stimulants - therapeutic use; Diuresis - drug effects; Growth - drug effects; Humans; Infant, Low Birth Weight - growth & development; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature - growth & development; Infant, Premature, Diseases - drug therapy; Weight Gain - drug effects
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc061615

To the Editor:
Schmidt et al. (May 18 issue)
1
appear to misconstrue the effect of caffeine on growth. Figure 2 of the article identifies a difference in growth appearing at one week of age and reflecting a greater weight loss in babies treated with caffeine. The difference in weight gradually vanishes during the next three weeks, indicating greater weight gain in babies receiving caffeine.
Premature infants with very low birth weight rarely receive adequate growth calories in the first days of life. However, most of the 5 to 10 percent of birth weight they lose reflects a loss of water . . .