Respiratory Distress Syndrome

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Premature babies have most common breathing difficulties found -

Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Idiopathic RDS
Hyaline Membrane Disease

RDS main cause is a lack of surfactant which is a substance that keeps the lungs of the premature baby open so that she is able to continue breathing.

It coats the air sacks inside the lungs allowing the release of carbon dioxide and the absorption of oxygen into the lungs to then be absorbed into the blood.

Surfactant is produced naturally by normal healthy mature lungs and a premature baby's body is too immature to produce this important thick liquid. Lungs mature very late in gestation and the earlier a premature baby is born the greater the problems that may arise.

When severe respiratory distress develops fairly acutely in a previously healthy person as a result of edema in the interstitium and alveoli it is termed ARDS.

This disorder is known by several names such as shock lung, wet lung, etc, since it may accompany different conditions such as shock, septicemia, inhalation of irritant gases etc.

The risk of RDS in the newborn can be assessed antenatally by the estimation of lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio (L/S) in the amniotic fluid. Administration of corticosteroids to the mother before delivery reduces the risk of RDS in the newborn.

Ayurvedic medicines for Respiratory Depression Symptoms can be used to improve treatment outcomes in ARDS and increase the chances for survival and a complete recovery. Since these patients are seriously ill, all medicines have to be fine-powdered and administered through a naso-gastric tube, along with honey and milk.