Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a disease that often seen in the premature babies. This condition makes it difficult for the baby to breathe.
Causes:
- Brother or sister who had this RDS
- Diabetic mother
- Caesarean delivery or induction of labor before the baby is full-term
- Problems with delivery that reduce blood flow to the baby
- Multiplet pregnancy (twins or more)
- Rapid labor
- Bluish color of the skin and mucus membranes (cyanosis)
- Brief pause in breathing (apnea)
- Decreased urine output
- Nasal flaring
- Rapid breathing
- Shallow breathing
- Shortness of breath and grunting sounds while breathing
- Unusual breathing movement (such as drawing back of the chest muscles with breathing).
- Blood gas analysis will show low oxygen level and will report excess acid in the body fluids
- Chest x-ray shows a “ground glass” appearance to the lungs that is typical of the disease. This often develops 6 to 12 hours after birth.
- Lab tests will helps to rule out infection as a cause of breathing problems
Symptoms:
- Bluish color of the skin and mucus membranes (cyanosis)
- Brief pause in breathing (apnea)
- Decreased urine output
- Nasal flaring
- Rapid breathing
- Shallow breathing
- Shortness of breath and grunting sounds while breathing
- Unusual breathing movement (such as drawing back of the chest muscles with breathing).
- Blood gas analysis will show low oxygen level and will report excess acid in the body fluids
- Chest x-ray shows a “ground glass” appearance to the lungs that is typical of the disease. This often develops 6 to 12 hours after birth.
- Lab tests will helps to rule out infection as a cause of breathing problems
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Treatment:
Babies who are premature or have other conditions that make them at high risk for the problem need to be treated at birth by a medical team that specializes in newborn breathing problems.
Infants will be given warm, moist oxygen. Treatment is to be monitored carefully to avoid any side effects. Giving extra surfactant to a sick infant has been shown to be helpful. More research still needs to be done on which babies should get this treatment and how much surfactant to use. Assisted ventilation with a ventilator can save life for some babies. But using this breathing machine can damage the lung tissue, so the treatment should be avoided if possible. Babies may need this treatment if they have the following symptoms:
- High level of carbon dioxide in the blood
- Low blood oxygen
- Low blood pH (acidity)
- Repeated pauses in breathing
A treatment called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may prevent the need for assisted ventilation or surfactant in many babies. CPAP sends air into the nose to help keep the airways open.
Babies with RDS need closely monitored care. This includes:
- Having a calm setting
- Gentle handling
- Staying at an ideal body temperature
- Carefully managing fluids and nutrition
- Treating infections right away