Etiology of Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome and the Assessment of Lung Maturity

Respiratory disorders are especially frequent during the neonatal period, since about 3% of newborn infants present a respiratory distress (RD) during the first hours after birth. These RDs of various etiology and severity have largely contributed to the organization of specific structures and treatments, which are increasingly being used in developed countries in the field of neonatology, namely, resuscitation at birth, specialized transportation systems, and neonatal intensive care units. ¹