Humidification for Neonates

The airway warms and humidifies inhaled air, recovers heat and moisture from exhaled air and defends the lung against pathogens.

Inhalation
The upper airway

warms and humidifies inhaled air so that it reaches core temperature and saturation in the lungs (gas conditioning)

cleans inhaled air by filtering and clearing contaminants, e.g. sneezing, coughing and the mucociliary transport system. This optimizes gas exchange and protects the delicate lung tissue.

Exhalation
As the air is exhaled, a portion of the heat and moisture added during inhalation is recovered. The heat and moisture lost must be replaced from systemic reserves.

Defence of the Lung