What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Respiratory Distress Syndrome?

Signs and symptoms of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) usually appear at birth or within the next few hours. They include:

• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Sharp pulling in of the chest below the ribs with each breath taken in
• Grunting sounds during exhalation
• Flaring of the nostrils during breathing

The baby may also stop breathing for a few seconds every now and then. This is called apnea.

Depending on how severe the RDS is, these babies also may develop other serious medical problems, including:

• A collapsed lung.
• Leakage of air from the lung into the chest cavity. This is rare.
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, another lung disease in premature infants.
• Bleeding in the brain, which can lead to delayed mental development, mental retardation, and cerebral palsy.
• Sepsis, an infection of the bloodstream.
• Bleeding in the lung.
• Blindness and other eye problems.
• Kidney failure, only in the most severe cases.
• Necrotizing enterocolitis, a disease of the bowel.