Question
A newborn with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome cries so hard that they can’t breathe. Will they keep crying non-stop after birth? What are the symptoms? What should be done?
Answer
No. If the baby survives more than 72 hours and does not develop severe complications, they often produce enough surfactant for the condition to gradually improve. Currently, in clinical practice, a surfactant substitute therapy can be used: generally, surfactant preparations are mixed with 100-200mg/(kg・time) suspended in 4ml of normal saline and administered as soon as possible through a tracheal tube into four different positions (supine, right, left lateral, and then supine again). Use a face mask and resuscitation bag to pressurize breathing for 1-2 minutes at each position to ensure even distribution of the surfactant in both lungs and prevent complications.