Acute respiratory distress syndrome, also known as hyaline membrane disease, respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS only, is a disease that arises due to the delayed development of the premature baby's lungs, causing difficulty in breathing, rapid breathing or wheezing when breathing, for example.
Normally, the baby is born with a substance called surfactant, which allows the lungs to fill with air, however, in this syndrome the amount of surfactant is still not enough to allow good breathing and, therefore, the baby does not breathe properly.
Thus, the acute respiratory distress syndrome in children is more common in newborn babies less than 28 weeks of gestation, being detected by the doctor soon after birth or in the first 24 hours. This syndrome is curable, but the baby needs to be admitted to the hospital to make the appropriate treatment, with drugs based on synthetic surfactant and use of an oxygen mask, until the lungs are sufficiently developed. Understand what pulmonary surfactant is for.
Symptoms in the baby
The main symptoms of childhood respiratory distress syndrome include:
- Bluish lips and fingers; Rapid breathing; Nostrils very open when inhaling; Wheezing in the chest when breathing; Rapid periods of respiratory arrest; Reduced amount of urine.
These symptoms indicate a respiratory failure, that is, the baby is unable to breathe properly and collect oxygen for the body. They are more common right after delivery, but can take up to 36 hours to appear, depending on the severity of the syndrome and the baby's prematurity.
To diagnose this syndrome, the pediatrician will evaluate these clinical signs of the newborn, in addition to ordering blood tests to evaluate the oxygenation of the blood and X-ray of the lungs.
How the treatment is done
Treatment for infantile respiratory distress syndrome should be started as soon as the symptoms are detected by the pediatrician and it is usually necessary for the baby to stay in an incubator and receive oxygen through a mask or through a device, called CPAP, which helps the air entering the lungs for a few days or weeks, until the lungs are sufficiently developed. Learn more about how this device works at: Nasal CPAP.
This syndrome can be avoided in some cases, as the obstetrician can indicate injections of corticoid drugs for the pregnant woman who is at risk of having a premature birth, which can accelerate the development of the baby's lungs.
Physiotherapy treatment
Physiotherapy, performed by a specialized physiotherapist, can be very useful for the treatment of babies with respiratory distress syndrome, as it uses techniques that can help to open the airways, stimulate the breathing muscles and facilitate the removal of secretions from the lungs..
Thus, physiotherapy is very important to reduce the symptoms of respiratory distress and its complications, such as lack of oxygen, lung injuries and brain damage.
