When is surfactant made

Blood gas tests. These measure the amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide and acid in the blood. They may show low oxygen and higher amounts of carbon dioxide.

This test is a type of ultrasound that looks at the structure of the heart and how it is working. The test is sometimes used to rule out heart problems that might cause symptoms similar to RDS. It will also show whether a PDA may be making the problem worse. It will also depend on how severe the condition is. Continuous positive airway pressure CPAP. This is a breathing machine that pushes a continuous flow of air or oxygen to the airways. It helps keep tiny air passages in the lungs open.

Artificial surfactant. This helps the most if it is started in the first 6 hours of birth. Surfactant replacement may help make RDS less serious. It is given as preventive treatment for some babies at very high risk for RDS. For others who become sick after birth, it is used as a rescue method. Surfactant is a liquid given through the breathing tube. Babies sometimes have complications from RDS treatment.

As with any disease, more severe cases often have greater risks for complications. Some complications of RDS include:. Lungs leak air into the chest, the sac around the heart, or elsewhere in the chest. Preventing a premature birth is the main way to prevent RDS. These medicines may greatly lower the risk and severity of RDS in the baby.

These steroids are often given between 24 and 34 weeks of pregnancy to women at risk of early delivery. They may sometimes be given up to 37 weeks. But if the delivery is very quick or unexpected, there may not be time to give the steroids. Or they may not have a chance to start working. It can cause babies to need extra oxygen and help with breathing. RDS occurs most often in babies born before the 28th week of pregnancy and can be a problem for babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

HMD occurs in about 60 to 80 percent of babies born before 28 weeks gestation, but only in 15 to 30 percent of those born between 32 and 36 weeks. About 25 percent of babies born at 30 weeks develop HMD severe enough to need a mechanical ventilator breathing machine. Although most babies with HMD are premature, other factors can influence the chances of developing the disease. These include the following:. While each baby may experience symptoms differently, some of the most common symptoms of HMD include:.

Symptoms of HMD usually peak by the third day and may resolve quickly when your baby begins to diurese excrete excess water in urine and needs less oxygen and mechanical help to breathe. Your baby may develop complications of the disease or problems as side effects of treatment. As with any disease, more severe cases often have greater risks for complications.

Some complications associated with HMD include the following:. The best way of preventing HMD is by preventing a preterm birth. When a preterm birth cannot be prevented, giving the mother medications called corticosteroids before delivery has been shown to dramatically lower the risk and severity of HMD in the baby. These steroids are often given to women between 24 and 34 weeks gestation who are at risk of early delivery.

For Patients. HMD is one of the most common problems seen in premature babies. The more premature the baby, the higher the risk and the more severe the HMD. Imagine the difference between a straight skirt and a heavily pleated skirt. The skirt with the pleats has much more material in it and therefore a larger area that is exposed to the air.

In the lungs, the air sacs, or alveoli, though more like bubbles than pleats, increase the surface area of the inside of the lungs and therefore make gas exchange easier. The larger the surface exposed to the air coming into the lungs, the more opportunity oxygen has to pass from the alveoli into the blood. A substance called surfactant is an essential part of the process allowing alveoli to remain open.

Surfactant is a kind of foamy, fatty liquid that acts like grease. Without it, the air sacs open but have difficulty remaining open because they stick together. Surfactant allows the sacs to remain open. Babies born without enough surfactant are said to have respiratory distress syndrome or RDS. Sometimes a premature birth is not a completely unexpected event.