Clinical Features of Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Preterm Neonates

Abstract

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is one of the most common and severe disorders of the early neonatal period in preterm infants. Objective: to investigate the clinical features of respiratory distress syndrome in preterm neonates according to gestational age. Materials and Methods: The study included 60 neonates with RDS. Their gestational age ranged from 26 to 37 weeks. A general clinical examination was performed. The clinical severity of respiratory distress was assessed using the Silverman/Downes score. Results: The incidence of severe birth asphyxia was two- to threefold higher among preterm neonates born at 26-28 weeks of gestation than among those born at 29-37 weeks. Assessment using the Silverman score showed that 94.7% of preterm neonates born at 26-28 weeks had extremely severe RDS, a substantially higher proportion than in the groups born at 29-37 weeks. In preterm neonates born at 33-37 weeks, RDS was predominantly mild.