Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), historically called Hyaline Membrane Disease (HMD), is the commonest cause of respiratory distress in the preterm newborn and results fundamentally from a deficiency of pulmonary surfactant. It is a self-limiting disease whose natural course is dramatically altered by antenatal corticosteroids, early CPAP, and exogenous surfactant — making it a recurring favourite across …