Objective: To determine the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in hospital born babies.
Design: A prospective study.
Place and duration of study: The study was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Pediatric department, in collaboration with the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, over a period of one year from January to December 2000.
Subjects and methods: All live born infants delivered at the hospital and who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) were included in the study.
Results: Ninety-four neonates developed RDS. Out of these, 88 (93.61%) were preterm and 06 (6.38%) were term infants. There was a male preponderance (65.95%). RDS was documented in 1.72% of total live births, 37.28% of preterm and 0.11% of term neonates born at the hospital. The incidence of RDS was 100% at 26 or less weeks of gestation, 57.14% at 32 weeks, and 3.70% at 36 weeks. The mortality with RDS was 41 (43.61%).
Conclusion: RDS is the commonest cause of respiratory distress in the newborn, particularly, in preterm infants. It carries a high mortality rate and the incidence is more than that documented in the Western world.