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The following is a summary of “Effect of incubator humidity on morbidity and mortality in preterm infants: a systematic review,” published in the March 2025 issue of BMC Pediatrics by Chen et al. 

Incubator humidity affects preterm infants’ morbidity and mortality. Its impact on infection risk and clinical outcomes remains unclear. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study on incubator humidity in preterm infants, highlighting the need for a meta-analysis due to the lack of a standard approach and varying clinical outcomes. 

They searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, Ovid, Google Scholar, and Web of Science (2000–2023). Included were randomized control trials, prospective and retrospective cohort studies on incubator humidity in preterm infants (<34 weeks) published in English. The outcomes assessed were infection rates, bronchopulmonary dysplasia incidence, and predischarge mortality. 

The results showed that 3 randomized control trials and 3 cohort studies with 801 preterm infants found high humidity increased infection risk (RR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.02–1.55, P = 0.03). No significant difference was found for bronchopulmonary dysplasia or mortality. 

Investigators found that high humidity increased infection risk. Evidence was limited by study heterogeneity and lack of data on humidity duration and adjustment schemes. 

Source: bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-025-05538-3