Chest, Neonatal

Synonyms

Congenital Neonatal Pneumonia; Hyaline Membrane Disease; Idiopathic Respiratory Distress Syndrome; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome; Pleural Effusions; Transient Tachypnoea of the Newborn

Definitions

The various medical causes of newborn respiratory distress depend largely on the gestational age of the infant. In the premature infant, the commonest abnormality is hyaline membrane disease, sometimes referred to as idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome or surfactant deficiency disease.

In the term infant, the causes include transient tachypnoea of the newborn, also referred to as retained foetal lung fluid or wet lung syndrome, amniotic fluid aspiration, meconium aspiration syndrome, which is defined as respiratory distress in an infant born through meconium stained amniotic fluid where symptoms cannot be otherwise explained, neonatal pneumonia, spontaneous pneumothorax /pneumomediastinum and pleural effusions.

Congenital abnormalities of the lung bud and vascular development...