breathlessness in neonates

Last reviewed 08/2023

Respiratory distress is a clinical diagnosis, the features of which are tachypnoea, subcostal and sternal recession, grunting expiration, with or without cyanosis in air.

Often this term is used synonymously with hyaline membrane disease, but it may be more useful to consider a differential diagnosis of conditions including hyaline membrane disease which present with respiratory distress.