Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), also referred to as hyaline membrane disease (HMD), is common in premature babies whose lungs lack the
maturity to adapt to extra-uterine life. It is most common in babies born before 28 weeks of gestation and rarely seen in full term babies (at 40 weeks). RDS is mostly caused by a lack of surfactant, a lipoprotein. Surfactant must be present in the lungs to keep the alveoli from collapsing. Some babies die from RDS and others may develop long term complications.
Key words: Apnea, Respiratory distress, Surfactant deficiency.
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