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Pediatric Critical Care Medicine pp 249–262Cite as

Neonatal Lung Diseases

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Abstract

Lung diseases are one of the main causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The majority of them result from lung immaturity and difficulties in the transition from intrauterine to extrauterine life. Respiratory distress syndrome occurs primarily due to surfactant deficiency and is the most common cause of respiratory distress in the preterm infant, but can also be seen in infants born at term. Transient tachypnea of the newborn is a common cause of neonatal respiratory dysfunction and results from delayed absorption of fetal lung fluid. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a form of chronic lung disease which is today primarily seen in the most preterm infants and is characterized by the need for prolonged respiratory support and oxygen supplementation. Other lung diseases affecting the newborn infant include pneumonias, aspiration of meconium stained amniotic fluid and congenital anomalies. These conditions are sometimes further complicated by persistent pulmonary hypertension, which is more commonly seen in the term than the preterm infant. Advances in the management of lung diseases affecting the newborn infant have resulted in marked improvement in their survival. These therapies include the administration of pulmonary surfactant, the use of nitric oxide for persistent pulmonary hypertension and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy. Advances in respiratory support have resulted in decreased ventilatory-induced lung injury and thus improved pulmonary outcome.

This chapter gives an overview of fetal lung development, neonatal respiratory physiology and the clinical presentation of respiratory dysfunction in the neonate. The etiology and pathophysiology of the most common neonatal lung diseases and their management are also discussed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital Iceland, Landspitali v/Hringbraut, Reykjavik, 101, Iceland

    Thordur Thorkelsson MD, MS

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Iceland, Landspitali v/Hringbraut, Reykjavik, 101, Iceland

    Gunnlaugur Sigfusson MD

Authors
  1. Thordur Thorkelsson MD, MS
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  2. Gunnlaugur Sigfusson MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thordur Thorkelsson MD, MS .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Derek S. Wheeler

  2. Div. of Critical Care Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Hector R. Wong

  3. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Thomas P. Shanley

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag London

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Thorkelsson, T., Sigfusson, G. (2014). Neonatal Lung Diseases. In: Wheeler, D., Wong, H., Shanley, T. (eds) Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6356-5_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6356-5_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-6355-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-6356-5

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