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Respiratory Distress Syndrome - Causes - Causes

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RDS is a type of neonatal respiratory disease that is caused most often by a lack of surfactant surfactant (ser-FAK-tant):
A foamy substance that forms a thin layer within the lungs to help keep the lungs\u2019 air sacs open. It is made up of proteins and fats. in the lungs. A fetus's lungs start making surfactant during the third trimester of pregnancy, or weeks 26 through labor and delivery. Surfactant coats the insides of the air sacs, or alveoli, in the lungs. This helps keep the lungs open so breathing can occur after birth. To understand respiratory distress syndrome, it helps to learn about how the lungs work.

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Without enough surfactant, the lungs may collapse when the newborn exhales. The newborn then has to work harder to breathe. He or she might not be able to get enough oxygen oxygen (OK-sih-jen):
A gas that is essential for humans and other animals to live. It is breathed into the lungs from the air. In the lungs, it enters the bloodstream, where red blood cells transport it to cells throughout your body. to support the body's organs.

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Some full-term newborns develop RDS because they have faulty genes gene (jeen):
The unit that passes heredity from parents to children. Genes are pieces of DNA and contain information for making a specific protein. that affect how their bodies make surfactant surfactant (ser-FAK-tant):
A foamy substance that forms a thin layer within the lungs to help keep the lungs\u2019 air sacs open. It is made up of proteins and fats. .

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\n Newborn in respiratory distress following a premature delivery. The top image shows a healthy newborn with healthy levels of surfactant in the lungs and oxygen in the blood. The bottom image shows a baby born prematurely. The lack of surfactant causes the alveoli, or air sacs, to thicken and become inflamed, making it hard to breathe. This reduces the amount of oxygen-rich blood that reaches the brain and other tissues in the body. Medical Illustration Copyright \u00a9 2019 Nucleus Medical Media, All rights reserved. \n
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Syndicated Content Details:
Source URL: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/subscribe/4419
Source Agency: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Captured Date: 2019-07-12 14:26:00.0
","description":"RDS is a type of neonatal respiratory disease that is caused most often by a lack of surfactant in the lungs. A fetus's lungs start making surfactant during the third trimester of pregnancy, or weeks 26 through labor and delivery. Surfactant coats the insides of the air sacs, or alveoli, in the lungs. This helps keep the lungs open so breathing can occur after birth.","id":18752,"mediaType":"Html","name":"Respiratory Distress Syndrome - Causes","sourceUrl":"https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/subscribe/4419"}]}