RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME IN INFANTS- AN OVERVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/fz8n1k96Keywords:
Respiratory distress syndrome, surfactant, hyaline membrane disease, tachypnea, tachycardia, chest wall retractions (recession), expiratory grunting, nasal flaring, cyanosis, glycoproteins, pneumocytes, air-bronchograms, glucocorticoidAbstract
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a breathing disorder that affects newborns. RDS rarely occurs in full-term infants. The disorder is more common in premature infants born about 6 weeks or more before their due dates. In fact, nearly all infants born before 28 weeks of pregnancy develop RDS. RDS is more common in premature infants because their lungs aren't able to make enough surfactant (sur-FAK-tant). A surfactant is a liquid that coats the inside of the lungs. It helps keep them open so that infants can breathe in air once they're born. Without enough surfactant, the lungs collapse, and the infant has to work hard to breathe. He or she might not be able to breathe in enough oxygen to support the body's organs. The lack of oxygen can damage the baby's brain and other organs if proper treatment isn't given. Most babies who develop RDS show signs of breathing problems and a lack of oxygen at birth or within the first few hours that follow. Due to improved treatments and medical advances, most infants who have RDS survive. However, these babies may need extra medical care after going home. Some babies have complications from RDS or its treatments. Serious complications include chronic (ongoing) breathing problems, such as asthma and BPD; blindness; and brain damage. This paper will outline the clinical course and diagnosis and treatment for the same and also will draw a simple conclusion.
Downloads
References
1. Northway WH, Rosan RC, Porter DY. Pulmonary Disease Following Respirator Therapy of Hyaline HyalineMembrane Disease. New England Journal of Medicine 1967;276:357–68.
https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm196702162760701.
2. Schwartz RM, Luby AM, Scanlon JW, Kellogg RJ. Effect of Surfactant on Morbidity, Mortality, and
Resource Use in Newborn Infants Weighing 500 to 1500 g. New England Journal of Medicine
1994; 330:1476–80. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm199405263302102.
3. Cooke RWI. Neonatal—perinatal medicine: Diseases of the Fetus and Infant, 5th ed. Avroy A. Fanaroff
and Richard J. Martin, Eds. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Year Book, 1992, 1450 pp. Pediatric Pulmonology
1993;16:207–207. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.1950160312.
4. Md RB, Berbano R, Naddaf S, Echemendia E, FACE, Barsa J, et al. USE OF IODINE-123 AS A
DIAGNOSTIC TRACER FOR NECK AND WHOLE-BODY SCANNING IN PATIENTS WITH WELL-DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER. Endocrine Practice 1998;4:11–6.
https://doi.org/10.4158/ep.4.1.11.
5. Asztalos E, Murphy K, Hannah M, Willan A, Matthews S, Ohlsson A, et al. 2: Multiple Courses of
Antenatal Corticosteroids for Preterm Birth Study: 5-Year Outcomes (MACS-5). American Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynecology 2013;208:S2–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2012.10.176.
6. Hardt KVD, Von Der Hardt K, Schoof E, Kandler MA, Dötsch J, Rascher W. Aerosolized Perfluorocarbon
Suppresses Early Pulmonary Inflammatory Response in a Surfactant-Depleted Piglet Model. Pediatric
Research 2002;51:177–82. https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200202000-00009.
7. Concepts of Neonatal ECMO. The Internet Journal of Perfusionists 2001;1. https://doi.org/10.5580/d9.
8. Jobe AH. Post-conceptional age and IVH in ECMO patients. The Journal of Pediatrics 2004;145:A2.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2004.07.010.
9. Kurl S, Heinonen KM, Kiekara O. The First Chest Radiograph in Neonates Exhibiting Respiratory Distress
at Birth. Clinical Pediatrics 1997;36:285–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/000992289703600506.
10. Beeton ML, Maxwell NC, Davies PL, Nuttall D, McGreal E, Chakraborty M, et al. Role of pulmonary
infection in the development of chronic lung disease of prematurity. European Respiratory Journal
2011;37:1424–30. https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.00037810.
11. Victora CG, Kirkwood BR, Ashworth A, Black RE, Rogers S, Sazawal S, et al. Potential interventions for
The prevention of childhood pneumonia in developing countries: improving nutrition. The American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1999;70:309–20. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/70.3.309.
12. Gantar IŠ, Štucin Gantar I, Babnik J, Derganc M. Role of surfactant inhibitors in amniotic fluid in
respiratory distress syndrome. Journal of Perinatal Medicine 2002;30.
https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm.2002.065.
13. Kinsella JP, Neish SR, Shaffer E, Abman SH. Low-Dose Inhalational Nitric Oxide in Persistent Pulmonary
Hypertension of the Newborn. Survey of Anesthesiology 1994;38:104. https://doi.org/10.1097/00132586-
199404000-00045.
14. Nissen MD. Congenital and neonatal pneumonia. Paediatric Respiratory Reviews 2007;8:195–203.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prrv.2007.07.001.
15. Greenough A, Roberton NR. Morbidity and survival in neonates ventilated for the respiratory distress
syndrome. BMJ 1985;290:597–600. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.290.6468.597.
16. Conrad SA, Rycus PT, Dalton H. Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report 2004. ASAIO Journal
2005;51:4–10. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mat.0000151922.67540.e9.
17. Lin FYC, Brenner RA, Johnson YR, Azimi PH, Philips JB, Regan JA, et al. The effectiveness of risk-based
Intrapartum chemoprophylaxis for the prevention of early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal disease.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2001;184:1204–10.
https://doi.org/10.1067/mob.2001.113875.
18. Leach CL, Fuhrman BP, Morin FC, Rath MG. Perfluorocarbon-associated gas exchange (partial liquid
ventilation) in respiratory distress syndrome A prospective, randomized, controlled study. Critical Care
Medicine 1993;21:1270–8. https://doi.org/10.1097/00003246-199309000-00008.
19. Steinhorn DM, Leach CL, Fuhrman BP, Holm BA. Partial liquid ventilation enhances surfactant
phospholipid production. Critical Care Medicine 1996;24:1252–6. https://doi.org/10.1097/00003246-
199607000-00031.
20. Greenspan JS, Wolfson MR, David Rubenstein S, Shaffer TH. Liquid ventilation of human preterm
neonates. The Journal of Pediatrics 1990;117:106–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3476(05)82457-6.
21. Cai J, Su Z, Zhou Y, Shi Z, Xu Z, Liu J, et al. Beneficial effect of exogenous surfactant in infants suffering acute respiratory distress syndrome after cardiac surgery. European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery 2011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejcts.2011.01.008.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2020 AUTHOR

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.