Acute respiratory distress syndrome, also known as hialine membrane disease, respiratory distress syndrome, or only DRA, is a condition that occurs due to delayed development of the premature baby’s lungs, causing shortness of breath, rapid breathing, or wheezing.
Normally, the baby is born with a substance called surfactant, which allows the lungs to fill with air, however, in this syndrome, the amount of surfactant is not yet enough to allow good breathing and therefore the baby does not breathe properly.
- For example.
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome in children is more common in infants less than 28 weeks gestation.
- Being detected by the doctor shortly after birth or within the first 24 hours.
- This syndrome is curable.
- But the baby must be admitted to the hospital to do the right treatment.
- With synthetic surfactant-based medications and the use of an oxygen mask.
- Until the lungs are sufficiently developed.
- Understand what pulmonary surfactant is for.
The main symptoms of childhood respiratory distress syndrome include
These symptoms indicate respiratory failure, i.e. the baby cannot breathe properly and collect oxygen for the body.They are most common immediately after delivery, but can take up to 36 hours to appear, depending on the severity of the syndrome and the baby’s prematurity..
To diagnose this syndrome, your pediatrician will evaluate these clinical signs of your newborn, as well as order blood tests to evaluate blood oxygenation and x-rays of your lungs.
Treatment of respiratory distress syndrome in the infant should be initiated as soon as the pediatrician detects symptoms and it is usually necessary for the baby to enter an incubator and receive oxygen through a mask or device, called CPAP, which helps the air entering the lungs for a few days or weeks, until the lungs are sufficiently developed.Learn more about how this device works at: Nasal CPAP.
This syndrome can be avoided in some cases because the obstetrician may advise a pregnant woman to receive corticosteroid injections at risk of preterm birth, which can accelerate the development of the baby’s lungs.
Physical therapy, performed by a specialized physical therapist, can be very useful for treating babies with respiratory distress syndrome, as it uses techniques that can help open the airways, stimulate breathing muscles and facilitate the elimination of lung secretions.
Therefore, physical therapy is very important to reduce symptoms of respiratory distress and its complications, such as lack of oxygen, lung damage and brain damage.