By Joshua uti
Experts Warn of Severe Risks from Improper Oxygen Use in Newborns
Child health specialists have raised alarm over the improper use of oxygen in newborns, especially premature babies, warning that it can lead to serious and lasting health complications such as blindness, lung damage, brain injury, and even death.
The experts emphasized that while oxygen remains a critical, life-saving tool in neonatal care, its unregulated or excessive use can cause preventable harm if not properly monitored and administered according to medical guidelines.
Speaking with *PUNCH Healthwise*, paediatricians identified unmonitored oxygen therapy as a leading cause of **Retinopathy of Prematurity**—a condition that can result in permanent vision loss—and **Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia**, a chronic lung disease that affects the respiratory development of preterm infants.
They explained that these complications occur when high oxygen levels overwhelm the immature organs of premature babies, leading to toxic effects that extend beyond the lungs and eyes.
“Oxygen toxicity doesn’t just damage the lungs; it can also harm the brain, heart, and kidneys,” one of the physicians noted, adding that prolonged exposure to high concentrations of oxygen has been linked to seizures, developmental delays, and other long-term neurological disorders.
The experts urged hospitals and healthcare providers to adhere strictly to established neonatal oxygen therapy protocols, recommending the use of **low oxygen concentrations during resuscitation**, particularly for very premature infants, to minimize the risk of avoidable complications.
