ABSTRACT

Pathological changes in the lung are of critical importance in determining survival and, while in those countries with advanced neonatal care facilities the classical features may be modified by the effects of treatment, they are still the major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in prematurely born neonates.53 The embryology and developmental physiology of the respiratory tract has been discussed in earlier chapters. In this section, morphological effects of disturbance in development and physiological adaptation, as well as the deleterious effects of therapy and acquired disease on the lung, are outlined.