Table 1. Characteristics of included studies

Citation               Country                          Inclusion                      Sample                      Intervention                                            LOE     

Design                  Setting                            Criteria                        Size      

Ramji                  India                               Asphyxiated babies             431                 Room air group; RAG (n=210)                         1b “-”                                     

et al ¹⁰                 Teaching Hospitals        Weight>1000grams                                    Asphyxiated neonates born on

Quasi-randomised                                      Heart Rate<100/min                                  even dates given room air

                                                                   Apnea unresponsive to suction

                                                                   No abnormalities                                       100% oxygen group, OG (n=221)

                                                                                                                                      Asphyxiated neonates born on

                                                                                                                                      Odds date given 100% oxygen   

Vento                  Spain                               Asphyxiated babies            151                RAG; n=51, given room air                                1b

et al ³                   Hospital                           Term                                                         Oxygen group; n=55, given

RCT                    Obstetric Ward                                                                                 100% oxygen                          

Vento                  Spain                               Asphyxiated                         40                 Room air (n=19) or 100 % oxygen (n=21)        1b

et al ⁶                   Hospital                          Term                                                          via IPPV with bag and mask at 30 bpm      

RCT                    Outpatient Clinic            Apneic, unresponsive to stimuli                                        

                            Obstetric Ward               Bradycardic                                                          

Saugstad             Multicentre                      Asphyxiated infants           213                 Follow up between ages 18 and 24 months      2b

et al ¹¹                 Hospitals                         Weight> 999g                                           of 213 children enrolled in Saugstad et al,

Cohort                                                        Heart rate<80 bpm                                    1998 study:

                                                                   Apnea/gasping                                           91 (62%) had been resuscitated with 21%                      

                                                                    No abnormalities                                      oxygen and 122 (69%) had been resuscitated     

                                                                                                                                      with 100% oxygen

Saugstad            Multicentre                      asphyxiated infants             609                Quasi-randomised by date of birth                    1b “-”                                                 

et al ⁷                 Hospitals                          weight >999g                                             (even= room air, odd= 100% oxygen)

Quasi-RCT                                                 Heart rate <80 bpm                                   Room air group, n=288             

                                                                   Apnea/gasping                                          100% oxygen group, n=331

                                                                   No abnormalities    

Ramji                 India                                Birth weight > 999g             84                  Neonates allocated to be resuscitated             1b “-”

et al ⁸                  Hospital                           apnea                                                          with either room air (n=42) or 100%       

Quasi-randomised                                      Heart rate< 80 bpm                                    oxygen (n=42)  

IPPV:  Intermittent Positive Pressure Ventilation

LOE:   Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence (May 2001)