Laryngeal Mask Use in Neonatal Resuscitation: A Narrative Review and Call for Interdisciplinary Collaboration.

Background: Approximately 3.8 million babies are born each year with up to 10% requiring breathing assistance and 1% needing intensive resuscitation interventions. Effective ventilation is paramount for their outcomes, and laryngeal masks (LMs), also known as supraglottic airways, have emerged as safe, user-friendly tools for providing ventilation. However, despite Neonatal Resuscitation Program guidelines, there exist barriers impeding the routine utilization of LMs.

Purpose: This narrative review aims to delineate the current understanding of LM usage in neonatal resuscitation, identify obstacles, and propose strategies for enhancing LM implementation and neonatal resuscitation outcomes through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Methods: Databases including CINAHL/NURSING, Ovid/Medline, and PubMed were queried. Seven randomized controlled trials were identified, although none specifically targeted nurses in the United States.

Results: Perspectives from nursing, medicine, education, and economics are essential for comprehensively addressing the multifaceted nature of the problem and devising innovative solutions transcending disciplinary boundaries.

Conclusion: Despite standardized education about LM, it is underutilized. This suggests an opportunity to improve neonatal outcomes by improving the routine use of LM to support vulnerable newborns immediately after birth. An interdisciplinary approach will help us better understand the problem from the various invested disciplines and offer solutions that exceed the scope of a single discipline.