When babies are born prematurely in Canada, they have traditionally been given surfactant derived from cows to help them breathe properly, if required. This fatty substance coats the tiny airs sacs in the lungs, making it easier for them to open and close and for the baby to breathe easier. In contrast, babies in Europe and the U.S. typically receive surfactant derived from pigs. Experts have often wondered which is better, but Dr. Brigitte Lemyre was the first to try to answer this question with a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Dr. Lemyre and her colleagues enrolled 87 preterm babies from The Ottawa Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences and the Royal Alexandra Hospital into the study.

While they didn’t find any significant difference in survival, they did find that babies who received the pig surfactant required less oxygen support. A larger trial is being discussed.

The study results were published in the journal PLOS ONE.