Introduction: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a respiratory disorder of neonates that manifests itself within few hours after delivery. It is one of the most common causes of admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and respiratory failure in neonates.
Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, risk factors, and the short-term outcomes of RDS in term infants born in an academic tertiary care center at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: Data of all infants admitted to the NICU at the academic center between January 1st 2016 and December 31st 2016 were retrospectively collected. Cases were all term infants who were admitted to NICU with the diagnosis of RDS during the study period. Controls were term infants and 1:1 matched for the date of birth (one or two days from the date of birth of the case) and received routine newborn care.
Results: Fifty-nine term infants (59/3601, 1.64%) were admitted to the NICU with RDS and 59 control infants were matched during the study period. Infants with RDS were significantly of lower birth weight and had lower Apgar scores at one and five minutes. Although there was a higher number of cesarean section and PROM in the RDS group, but that didn't reach statistical significance. Three infants (5.1%) died in the RDS group.
Conclusion: Respiratory distress in term infants is still a significant cause of admission to NICU and a predisposing factor for neonatal mortality and morbidity. Preventative and anticipatory measures should be further explored to decrease the burden of this disease.
Keywords: incidence; infant; newborn; risk factors; tertiary care centers.