title: Management of the antenatal preterm fetal lung in the prevention of respiratory distress syndrome in lambs.
abstract: We have explored change in pulmonary compliance before, and after, repeated deep insufflation of the lungs to a pressure of 35 cm H2O, in 130-days gestation fetal lambs delivered by cesarean section, and while still connected to the intact umbilical cord and the ewe. As a group, all 15 out of 28 fetal lambs that had a rise in total compliance to above 0.2 ml (cm H2O)-1 kg-1 after the first inflation, tolerated 24 h of mechanical ventilation with excellent health and good lung function; only 3 animals out of 13 that showed no similar initial rise in compliance after the first inflation, ultimately survived. We believe the first deep insufflation is an important therapeutic intervention and a useful index to rapidly assess chance of survival in a high-risk fetal lamb population.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology*; D008170:Lung Compliance; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012138:Respiratory Therapy; D012756:Sheep / Q000196:embryology*