RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME IN LATE-PRETERM INFANTS (LITERATURE REVIEW)
TL;DR
Current literature indicates surfactant administration serves as a viable alternative diagnostic modality for RDS and its clinical utility in late-preterm infants remains debated.
Abstract
Late preterm infants are defined as neonates born between 34 0/7 and 36 6/7 weeks of gestation. This group constitutes the majority of all preterm newborns worldwide, representing approximately 75%. Although increasingly recognized as a distinct high-risk population, these infants remain understudied. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) represents a highly prevalent respiratory disorder in this demographic, resulting from impaired lung maturation, delayed pulmonary fluid reabsorption, reduced gas exchange, and the synthesis of structurally and functionally immature surfactant. The diagnosis of RDS is established based on clinical and radiological criteria. Current literature indicates serves as a viable alternative diagnostic modality for this condition. Although surfactant administration represents the primary treatment for RDS, its clinical utility in late-preterm infants remains debated. International recommendations regarding antenatal corticosteroid prophylaxis for RDS in anticipated late-preterm birth also remain inconsistent. Consequently, current evidence underscores the necessity for further investigation and optimization of diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic strategies for RDS in this neonatal population.