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The presence of PG usually indicates fetal lung maturity. For the S/A ratio, the result is given as milligrams of surfactant per gram of protein. A S/A ratio less than 35 indicates immature lungs, between 35 and 55 is indeterminate, and greater than 55 indicates mature surfactant production (correlating with an L/S ratio of 2.2 or greater).
Transient tachypnea of the newborn occurs in approximately 1 in 100 preterm infants and 3.6–5.7 per 1000 term infants. It is most common in infants born by caesarian section without a trial of labor after 35 weeks of gestation. Male infants and infants with an umbilical cord prolapse or perinatal asphyxia are at higher risk.
Medical diagnosis of pulmonary hypoplasia in utero may use imaging, usually ultrasound or MRI. [12] [13] The extent of hypoplasia is a very important prognostic factor. [14]One study of 147 fetuses (49 normal, 98 with abnormalities) found that a simple measurement, the ratio of chest length to trunk length, was a useful predictor of postnatal respiratory distress. [15]
The major milestone of respiratory development occurs at around week 28, when sufficient alveolar precursors have matured so that a baby born prematurely at this time can usually breathe on its own. However, alveoli continue to develop and mature into childhood. A full complement of functional alveoli does not appear until around 8 years of age.
The lecithin–sphingomyelin ratio is a marker of fetal lung maturity. The outward flow of pulmonary secretions from the fetal lungs into the amniotic fluid maintains the level of lecithin and sphingomyelin equally until 32–33 weeks gestation, when the lecithin concentration begins to increase significantly while sphingomyelin remains nearly the same.
Preterm infants are born without fully mature lungs lacking the surfactant compound that allows alveoli to remain open by overcoming the surface tension of water. [10] The resulting difficulty in lung expansion prevents the necessary reduction in pulmonary vascular resistance for the infant to make the normal cardiopulmonary transition ...
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD; part of the spectrum of chronic lung disease of infancy) is a chronic lung disease which affects premature infants. Premature (preterm) infants who require treatment with supplemental oxygen or require long-term oxygen are at a higher risk. [ 1 ]
Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), also known as neonatal aspiration of meconium, is a medical condition affecting newborn infants. It describes the spectrum of disorders and pathophysiology of newborns born in meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) and have meconium within their lungs. Therefore, MAS has a wide range of severity depending on ...