The AIROPLANE trial

results have landed…

The AIROPLANE team would like to say a massive thank you to all the families and babies who took part in this trial.

Before this trial, there was no evidence to guide clinicians how to give oxygen therapy at birth for these babies. This big trial now gives us the first information of this kind to improve how we care for these babies at birth.

During the study, more than 5,000 babies were born at the 26 study hospitals across Victoria and New South Wales.

1,818 babies needed breathing support as soon as they were born and took part in the trial. About half the babies started in 21% oxygen, the others started with 30% oxygen.

The same number of babies from each group still needed breathing support when they moved from the delivery room. This outcome was the primary outcome the study assessed and did not find any difference.

However, babies who started with 30% oxygen actually needed less resuscitation after birth and had less breathing support over the following few days.

Starting support with either 21% or 30% oxygen did not affect how long babies had to stay in hospital.

Thank you again to everyone who took part and to all our study sites who worked so hard to run AIROPLANE if their hospitals.