Abstract: Objective To study the impact of long-term use of caffeine citrate on the safety of very-low-birth-weight infants. Methods  The clinical data of 192 very-low-birth-weight infants treated with caffeine citrate in our hospital from December 2020 to December 2022 were discussed and analyzed.According to the total time of treatment,the infants were divided into long treatment group and routine treatment group:107 cases in the long treatment group (caffeine was used till corrected gestational age > 34 weeks) and 85 cases in conventional treatment group (caffeine was used till corrected gestational age 33 to 34 weeks).The clinical data of premature infants were compared between the two groups. Results There was no significant difference in sex,age of admission,multiple pregnancy,premature rupture of membranes,cesarean section,prenatal use of glucocorticoid or prenatal use of magnesium sulfate between the long treatment group and the routine treatment group(P>0.05).The birth weight and gestational age in the long treatment group were significantly lower than those in the routine treatment group(P<0.05).The total time of caffeine application, corrected gestational age on stopping medication, corrected gestational age on oral correction and oral milk volume in the long treatment group were higher than those in the conventional treatment group,and there were significant differences between the two groups(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of feeding intolerance or hyperglycemia(P>0.05).The incidence of broncho-pulmonary dysplasia in the long treatment group is relatively high,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05). Conclusion For very-low-birth-weight infants with smaller gestational age and lower birth weight,there is no obvious adverse reaction after long-term use of caffeine until the corrected gestational age of 36 weeks,and the safety is high.For children with feeding tolerance,oral caffeine can be used at a proper time.

Key words:

Apnea of prematurity；Caffeine citrate, Very-low-birth-weight infants