Assessment
Some of the most challenging infants to manage are new-borns who cannot tolerate breathing room air. Unlike many other therapies applied to neonates, including mechanical ventilation, antibiotics, and surfactant administration, supplemental oxygen rarely treats an underlying disease. It is merely a form of supportive therapy meant to establish stability while another condition clears. Hence, it is extremely important that the infant-particularly the newborn in transition or the infant who is weaning form mechanical ventilation or CPAP support-be assessed frequently for stability and to nsure that a change in support level is not required. For the infant who requires long-term therapy, however, different parameters need to be assessed, with less frequent disruptions of the environment.