The Respiratory Distress Syndrome of the Newborn: Immaturity Versus Prematurity

Abstract

The effect of birth weight and length of gestation on the occurrence of the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) of the newborn was studied in a maternity hospital. The incidence of this disease was related to low birth weight only in so far as the latter was related to immaturity. RDS was rare after the 37th week of gestation (259 days), providing the mothers'' dates were correct. Before this time, both the incidence of this disease and the mortality from it rose steeply with decreasing maturity. It was primarily responsible for 4/5 of the neonatal deaths among immature infants.