This is a Phase 3, randomized, masked, active-controlled, multicenter trial designed to determine whether early intratracheal administration of a combination of budesonide with surfactant, as compared to surfactant alone, will reduce the incidence of physiologic bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or death by 36 weeks' post-menstrual age in extremely preterm infants.

From a study of 9575 extremely preterm (22-28 weeks gestational age and 401-1500g birth weight) infants born between 2003 and 2007 and enrolled in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Neonatal Research Network (NRN), it is anticipated that 93% of extremely preterm infants will develop respiratory distress syndrome, 68% will develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), 16% will develop severe intraventricular hemorrhage, and 36% will develop late-onset sepsis (PMID: 20732945). Furthermore, in 2014 20% of the infants enrolled in the NRN Generic Database (GDB) died (8% by less than 12 hours, 12% between 12 hours and 120 days, and 1% after 120 days) and 47% of infants who survived to 36 weeks' post-menstrual age (PMA) developed physiologic BPD (NRN GDB data). BPD is therefore one of the most common morbidities in extremely preterm infants. Death is a competing outcome for BPD, as infants who die before ascertainment of BPD at 36 weeks' PMA cannot be diagnosed with BPD even though they may have been at the highest risk. As children get older, BPD has been shown to be associated with worse cognitive outcomes in school age and with abnormal pulmonary function in adolescence and adulthood (PMID: 14595077; 15499947; 2247118).

Recent randomized trials have indicated a lower incidence of BPD/death with the use of a combination of budesonide with surfactant (budesonide + surfactant) compared to surfactant alone when administered soon after birth. Therefore, after obtaining informed consent and confirming eligibility for the trial, infants are randomized in a 1:1 allocation ratio to either the budesonide + surfactant arm or the surfactant alone arm within 48 hours of birth.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Liveborn infants 22 0/7 - 28 6/7 weeks gestation or 401 - 1000 grams (inclusive) birth weight
• Clinical decision to give surfactant
• Less than or equal to 48 hours postnatal age

Exclusion Criteria:

• Terminal illness (heart rate < 100 beats per minute, unresponsiveness to resuscitation) or unlikely to survive as judged by the clinician
• Decision to redirect or limit support
• Use of surfactant before enrollment (first dose of surfactant must be study drug)
• Infant received systemic steroids prior to enrollment
• Use of indomethacin, either received by the mother within 24 hours prior to delivery,received by the infant prior to enrollment, or intent to administer to the infant for IVH prophylaxis or PDA management from enrollment up to 7 days of final dose of study drug
• Serious chromosomal abnormalities or major malformations
• Known congenital infections including, but not limited to, confirmed sepsis, congenital CMV, etc.
• Infants with a permanent neuromuscular condition that affects respiration
• Enrollment in a conflicting clinical trial

NIH has had a long-standing policy to share and make available to the public the results and accomplishments of the activities that it funds. The NRN plans to share de-identified data after final publication in an NIH supported data repository such as the NICHD Data and Specimen Hub (https://dash.nichd.nih.gov).

The investigator, primary providers, primary data collectors, and participants will be masked to randomization arm assignment. Only research pharmacists and a designated respiratory therapist (or other qualified person) will be unmasked at the enrolling sites. The designated respiratory therapist (or other qualified person) must be unmasked to allow drug mixing at bedside for expeditious study drug administration; however, this person will not be the primary medical provider nor the primary data collector for that infant, and will not be otherwise involved in the research.