The Use of an Oral Airway in the Treatment of Respiratory Distress of Infants

SUMMARY Fatal respiratory distress in children with a birth weight below 2000 g, brought about by rhinitis within the first two to three weeks of life, and in children with congenital nasal defects, has been treated with a simple mouth tube. This was found to overcome the children's inability to breathe through the mouth, thus relieving their exhausting respiratory efforts, without causing any serious complications even when used for periods of months.