Acute respiratory distress syndrome, also known as hyaline membrane disease or respiratory distress syndrome, is a disease that arises due to delayed development of the premature baby's lungs, causing difficulty in breathing, rapid breathing or wheezing when breathing, for example .
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 still not enough to allow good breathing and, therefore, the baby does not breathe properly .
Thus, acute respiratory distress syndrome in infants is more common in infants born less than 28 weeks gestation and is detected by the physician soon after birth or in the first 24 hours. This syndrome has a cure, but the baby needs to be admitted to the hospital for appropriate treatment with synthetic surfactant-based medications and oxygen mask use until the lungs are sufficiently developed. Understand what pulmonary surfactant is for.
Symptoms in the baby
The main symptoms of infant respiratory distress syndrome include:
- Bluish lips and fingers;
- Rapid breathing;
- Narinas very open to inspire;
- Chirring in the chest when breathing;
- Rapid periods of respiratory arrest;
- Reduced amount of urine.
These symptoms indicate a respiratory insufficiency, that is, the baby can not breathe properly and capture oxygen to the body. They are most common soon after delivery, but can take up to 36 hours to appear, depending on the severity of the syndrome and prematurity of the baby.
To diagnose this syndrome, the pediatrician will evaluate these clinical signs of the newborn, in addition to requesting blood tests to evaluate the oxygenation of the blood and x-rays of the lungs.
How is the treatment done?
Treatment for childhood respiratory distress syndrome should be started as soon as the symptoms are detected by the pediatrician and it is usually necessary for the baby to be admitted to an incubator and receive oxygen through a mask or through a device called CPAP that helps air into the lungs for a few days or weeks until the lungs are sufficiently developed. Learn more about how this device works in: Nasal CPAP.
This syndrome can be avoided in some cases because the obstetrician can indicate injections of corticoid medicines for the pregnant woman who is at risk of having a preterm birth, which can accelerate the development of the baby's lungs.
Physiotherapy treatment
Physiotherapy by a specialized physiotherapist can be very useful for the treatment of the baby with respiratory distress syndrome because it uses techniques that can help open the airways, stimulate the breathing muscles and facilitate the removal of secretions from the lungs .
Thus, physiotherapy is very important to decrease the symptoms of respiratory discomfort and its complications such as lack of oxygen, lung damage and brain damage.
