The association between respiratory distress and nonpulmonary morbidity at 34 to 36 weeks' gestation

The study was undertaken to determine whether respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is associated with an increased risk of nonpulmonary morbidity in neonates born between 34 to 36 weeks' gestation.

We performed a matched case-control study of 75 infants with (cases) and 75 without (controls) RDS, delivered between 34 and 36 weeks' gestation. Infants with RDS and no other causes for respiratory failure (anomalies, hydrops, asphyxia) were included. Controls were matched for gestational age at birth, year of care, gender, plurality, and race. Inpatient records were reviewed for the incidence of nonpulmonary morbidities before discharge. McNemar test and conditional logistic regression were used to evaluate differences between cases and controls.

Our study cohort was 69% male, 48% white, 33% African American, and 19% Hispanic. Cases had longer hospital (11 vs 7days) and neonatal intensive care unit stays (10 vs 7 days), and more frequent apnea-bradycardia (30% vs 5%), pneumonia (12% vs 1%), and suspected sepsis diagnoses (27% vs 3%), P

RDS at 34 to 36 weeks is associated with increased morbidity and neonatal interventions. In the absence of RDS, major morbidity is uncommon.