year-olds who did not receive the gas. "Not only does nitric oxide extend life in a large group of premature infants, it also improves the quality of life for the children and their parents," Schreiber said. But findings in the second study qualified that conclusion. The research team led by Krisa Van Meurs of the Stanford University School of Medicine found that the 210 premature babies with severe respiratory failure who got nitric oxide were just as likely to die or suffer lung damage as the 210 who were given a placebo. The study, however, focused on babies who tended to be smaller and sicker than the ones in the Schreiber research. The Van Meurs team also found that infants weighing over 1000 grams (35 ounces) benefited from nitric oxide, but those weighing less were more likely to die or develop severe brain bleeding than those who got standard care. The Schreiber study was paid for in part by INO Therapeutics, which makes the nitric oxide treatment. INO is a division of Germany's Linde AG. The Van Meurs study was financed largely by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
