ABSTRACT
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was first used in newborns in 1974. Since then, the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) has recorded approximately 15 000 newborns who have been treated with ECMO for a variety of cardiorespiratory disorders. The most common disorders in the newborn treated with ECMO are meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), persistent pulmonary hypertension of the neonate (PPHN), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), sepsis and cardiac support. Depending on the indication for ECMO, the outcome has varied, but overall, a survival rate of 76% has been reported for newborns treated in this high (> 80%) mortality group.1 This chapter will discuss the selection criteria for ECMO in neonates and the management of these babies while on ECMO. It will then discuss ECMO for use in difficult, clinical scenarios, such as CDH and preterm infants, and finally review outcome and follow-up of neonates treated with ECMO.
