Respiratory distress syndrome in preterm babies

Breathing trouble in a baby born too early. The lungs make a natural coating, called surfactant, that keeps the tiny air sacs from collapsing. A baby born early may not have enough of it, so the lungs expand poorly and parts of them can collapse. MedlinePlus lists breathing problems among the health problems of premature babies, who need special care in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Also called RDS

Condition
In this atlas

Overview

Technical summary

Definition as the Curosurf label words it (a manufacturer's label, openFDA copy): a deficiency of pulmonary surfactant in preterm infants results in RDS, with poor lung expansion, inadequate gas exchange and gradual collapse of the lungs (atelectasis). Management rests on the 2025 European consensus guidelines (Neonatology; the PubMed abstract only: the PMC copy is CC BY-NC and was not used, and a later 2026 PubMed item for the same guideline family is a comment with no abstract). The abstract names these elements: collaboration with obstetricians, antenatal steroids, delivery room warmth, spontaneous breathing before cord clamping, non-invasive respiratory support where possible, early surfactant by thin catheter to avoid intubation, lung-protective ventilation for the shortest time possible, and general supportive care. No incidence or survival figure is recorded here.

Burden

No burden claims are published.

Claims and evidence

No claims are published for this condition yet.

Clinical links

Each link reports what one cited claim says about one population. "Evaluated for" means studied, not shown to work. These links do not show that anything is effective or right for you.

Claim, not a settled fact Recommended for this: Pulmonary surfactants (class) (Recommended for, seen from the other side)
Applies to Newborn
- Babies with respiratory distress syndrome, as covered by the seventh version of the European Guidelines for the Management of RDS, written by a panel of European neonatologists and an expert perinatal obstetrician from the literature up to mid-2025. The abstract gives no gestational age or birth weight limits.
- Delivery room and neonatal care in Europe (panel of European neonatologists); the abstract names no settings.
- Europe (the panel's origin; the abstract names no countries)
- Preterm babies with respiratory distress
- Gestational age Not reported
- Postnatal age Not reported
Follow-up Not applicable (guidance context)
The 2025 European consensus guidelines on respiratory distress syndrome say that delivery room protocols should include keeping the baby's temperature normal, trying to promote spontaneous breathing before the cord is clamped, using non-invasive respiratory support where possible and considering early surfactant given through a thin catheter in an attempt to avoid intubation. They add that continuing non-invasive support and judicious use of surfactant by techniques that avoid intubation will help improve outcomes.
Limitations. Only the PubMed abstract was read. The PMC copy of the guideline is CC BY-NC and was not used; a later 2026 PubMed item with a similar title is a comment with no abstract. The abstract gives no strength of recommendation or certainty grade and no numbers. It says to consider early thin-catheter surfactant, not to give it to every baby. It is a consensus statement of a panel, not a trial.
Claim, not a settled fact Treated by: Curosurf (poractant alfa) (Claimed to treat, seen from the other side)
Applies to Newborn
- Premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), for rescue treatment, as the US label words the indication. The label gives no gestational age or birth weight limits in the indication text.
- Not stated in the source (the indication text does not name a setting)
- United States (FDA-approved labelling)
- Premature infants
- Gestational age Not reported
- Postnatal age Not reported
Follow-up Not applicable (regulatory context)
The US label for Curosurf says it is indicated for rescue treatment of respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants, and says that Curosurf reduces mortality and pneumothoraces (air leaks into the chest) associated with RDS.
Limitations. This is the manufacturer's statement in FDA-approved labelling (openFDA copy, version 45), not a result read from a trial report: the label's clinical studies section was not read, so no numbers, comparator or follow-up are recorded. It says nothing about SUPPORT or other trials of surfactant against CPAP. The label word is rescue treatment; prophylactic use is not covered by this claim.

Record details

Record id: maternal:neonatal-respiratory-distress-syndrome
Content hash: 670a11b31a7d4ae99f466aa06a3538333ded95a8d85db6f619eb614ee5ecbcbb