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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 ]
The lungs may also appear hyperinflated. [5] It is a diagnosis of exclusion as it is a benign condition that can have symptoms and signs similar to more serious syndromes, such as respiratory distress or meconium aspiration. [2] In distinction to transient tachypnea, respiratory distress syndrome is more common in premature infants.
The lungs of infants with respiratory distress syndrome are developmentally deficient in a material called surfactant, which helps prevent the collapse of the terminal air spaces (the future site of alveolar development) throughout the normal cycle of inhalation and exhalation. This deficiency of surfactant is related to inhibition from the ...
Antenatal steroids have also been shown to have definite beneficial effect in treating the condition of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). [8] Similar to its effects on preterm birth, research evidence suggests that the administration of antenatal steroids to patients with PPROM reduces risks of neonatal mortality, intraventricular hemorrhage and respiratory distress syndrome.
Either one side of the lung fails completely, leading to pulmonary aplasia, or one side of the lung is underdeveloped, leading to dysplasia or hypoplasia. [11] These defects occur during the early stage of lung development, although not as early as bilateral pulmonary agenesis, when respiratory primordium bifurcates into right and left ...
Hypoxia is a common complication of preterm birth in newborn infants. Because the lungs develop late in pregnancy, premature infants frequently possess underdeveloped lungs. To improve blood oxygenation, infants at risk of hypoxia may be placed inside incubators that provide warmth, humidity, and supplemental oxygen.
The lungs are one of the last organs to mature in the womb; because of this, many premature babies spend the first days and weeks of their lives on ventilators. Therefore, a significant overlap exists between preterm birth and prematurity. Generally, preterm babies are premature and term babies are mature.
Infants with this condition have disproportionately short arms and legs with extra folds of skin. Other signs of the disorder include a narrow chest , small ribs , underdeveloped lungs , and an enlarged head with a large forehead and prominent, wide-spaced eyes.