Preoperative Corticosteroid Therapy in Neonates Undergoing Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Neonates with congenital heart disease requiring surgery utilizing a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)machine in the first month of life that receive ONE doses intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) prior to heart surgery.Compare the effects and preoperative and intraoperative IVMP (2 dose steroid)to intraoperative IVMP alone (single dose steroid) on the inflammatory response to CPB cardiopulmonary bypass.

Neonates with congenital heart disease requiring surgery utilizing a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)machine in the first month of life that receive TWO doses intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) prior to heart surgery.Compare the effects and preoperative and intraoperative IVMP to intraoperative IVMP alone on the inflammatory response to CPB cardiopulmonary bypass. The hypothesis is that neonates treated with preoperative IVMP as well as the standard intraoperative IVMP will have decreased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.