Supplementing preterm babies who have respiratory distress with the nutrient inositol may reduce death and disability

Cochrane: Does the administration of supplementary inositol reduce adverse outcomes in preterm infants with or without respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)? Inositol is an essential nutrient for cells, with high concentrations in breast milk (particularly in the breast milk of mothers whose babies have been born early). A drop in inositol levels in babies with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) can be a sign that their illness will be severe.


Four published randomised controlled trials met our inclusion criteria.

We found that the initial evidence regarding inositol supplementation in preterm babies with RDS is promising. Supplementation lowered rates of death and bleeding in the brain, with an important reduction in eye problems as well. Inositol did not have serious adverse effects. Further research is warranted to confirm these preliminary findings. Such research is currently ongoing in the USA.

 

Authors' conclusions: 

Inositol supplementation results in statistically significant and clinically important reductions in important short-term adverse neonatal outcomes. A large size multi-centre randomised controlled trial is currently ongoing and the trial will likely confirm or refute the findings from this systematic review.