European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:  Respiratory distress is the commonest morbidity responsible for majority of neonatal admissions to neonatal intensive care unit. It is a symptom complex arising from disease process that cause failure to maintain gaseous exchange.  Respiratory distress in new born can be due to a wide variety of conditions. The frequency of a given condition depends on various factors of which gestation is an important one. In preterm neonates, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is the most common cause while in the late preterm and term neonates’ transient tachypnoea of new born (TTN) is the predominant cause. Methods:  This is a prospective and observational study conducted among Neonates admitted with signs of respiratory distress to new born care unit, Dept. Of Paediatrics MKCG Berhampur (SNCU and NICU). Both inborn and out born babies admitted to new born care unit with respiratory distress were included. Neonates from birth to 28 days presenting with respiratory distress were selected through consecutive sampling. New born developing distress post admission were excluded from the study. Written informed consent were taken from parents concerned. Results: 110 respiratory distress cases were sampled consecutively for our study. The total admissions in the time period was 645 thereby making respiratory distress 15% of total admissions. When babies having respiratory distress were compared with place of delivery there were more number of out born cases 63 (57.3%) than inborn cases 47 (42.7%). Conclusion:  Survival of babies with hyaline membrane disease who were given exogenous surfactant therapy improved with increasing gestational maturity and birth weight. Sepsis is the major entity complicating outcome of babies who received surfactant. Proper antenatal care, early diagnosis of antenatal complications and avoiding preterm deliveries will aid in better outcome of newborn babies with respiratory distress.