ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the management of infants with respiratory disorders. It will examine fetal and neonatal lung development as well as revisiting some of the common respiratory disorders with a view to applying this knowledge to the decision-making process in the management of these infants. The chapter will also explore methods of respiratory support used in the UK today as well as considering the potential impact of newer technologies on the management of infants with respiratory disorders. The concept of evidence-based care will be employed in this chapter as it is elsewhere in the book. However, it will become apparent that much of the practice in respiratory management is based on smallscale studies that lack the rigour of randomised controlled trials. For this reason, the authors have tried to reflect the variety of practices used and highlight the outstanding questions that remain to be answered in respiratory management of the neonate.
