**4. Conclusion**

Toxic derivatives of oxygen are referred to as free radicals and are either oxygen (ROS) or nitrogen-based (RNS) reactants. ROS/RNS are destructive to all key molecules, i.e. lipids, proteins and DNA, within all cells. Since the lungs of newborn infants are highly susceptible to oxidative damage by ROS/ RNS, care should be taken in the use of pure oxygen during resuscitation of infants. Also, avoidance of mechanical ventilation with the use of nasopharyngeal continuous positive air pressure may reduce respiratory tissue damage resulting from ROS/RNS.

Oxygen, which is obviously vital to survival, can obviously be highly damaging to tissues such as the lungs of newborns which are known to be poorly equipped to neutralise its toxic derivatives. Thus, the exposure of the newly born infant respiratory tree to oxygen at a higher percentage than exists in normal ambient air, i.e. 20%, or at a positive pressure should be performed with caution especially since it may be minimally or no better than using ambient air. Also, the use of antioxidants to quell molecular damage by ROS/RNS could be considered in situations in which pure oxygen or positive pressure are used. One antioxidant that may be useful in these situations is melatonin; this indoleamine has been shown to be useful to combat oxygen toxic in newborns [Gitto, E. et al. (2009)].
