Abstract:Objective To investigate the impact of low-invasive pulmonary surfactant combined with caffeine on neurodevelopment in preterm infants with noninvasive high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (NHFOV) for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).Methods A total of 84 preterm infants diagnosed with ARDS and undergoing noninvasive high-frequency oscillatory ventilation were enrolled from June 2020 to June 2022 at Hainan Western Central Hospital. The infants were randomly divided into a study group and a control group, with 42 infants in each group. The control group received low-invasive pulmonary surfactant treatment, while the study group received low-invasive pulmonary surfactant combined with caffeine. Respiratory outcomes, clinical efficacy after 48 hours of treatment, and various parameters, including arterial oxygen pressure difference, arterial carbon dioxide pressure difference, oxygen inhalation concentration difference, intelligence development index difference, and psychomotor development index difference, were compared between the two groups. Serum levels of β-endorphin (β-EP) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The incidence of complications in both groups was also compared.Results The study group showed significantly shorter mechanical ventilation duration, oxygen therapy duration, and hospital stay compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The clinical total effective rate in the study group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The study group exhibited higher values in arterial oxygen pressure difference, arterial carbon dioxide pressure difference, and oxygen inhalation concentration difference before and after 48 hours of treatment compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Intelligence development index difference and psychomotor development index difference in the study group were higher than those in the control group before and after treatment (P < 0.05). Serum β-EP difference and GSH-Px difference in the study group were higher than those in the control group before and after treatment (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P > 0.05).Conclusion The use of low-invasive pulmonary surfactant combined with caffeine in preterm infants with ARDS undergoing noninvasive high-frequency oscillatory ventilation can reduce the duration of treatment, improve neurodevelopment, and provide effective and safe therapeutic outcomes.