Patient's question:
The child was only a few days old when they were diagnosed with hyaline membrane disease. Is hyaline membrane disease serious? What are the symptoms?Doctor's answer:
Newborn pulmonary hyaline membrane disease is caused by a deficiency of pulmonary surfactant and is more common in premature infants. It refers to the symptoms of progressive respiratory distress and respiratory failure that appear shortly after birth in newborns, primarily due to a lack of alveolar surfactant, leading to the progressive collapse of alveoli. Infants may develop progressive respiratory distress, grunting, cyanosis, and inspiratory retractions within 4-12 hours after birth, and severe cases may progress to respiratory failure. Surfactant replacement therapy is crucial in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. Mechanical ventilation is a form of respiratory support that can save the lives of children.