title: Incidence of respiratory distress syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in hospital born babies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Pediatric department, in collaboration with the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, over a period of one year from January to December 2000.
  
  
  METHODS
  All live born infants delivered at the hospital and who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-four neonates developed RDS. Out of these, 88 (93.61%) were preterm and 06 (6.38%) were term infants. There was a male preponderance (65.95%). RDS was documented in 1.72% of total live births, 37.28% of preterm and 0.11% of term neonates born at the hospital. The incidence of RDS was 100% at 26 or less weeks of gestation, 57.14% at 32 weeks, and 3.70% at 36 weeks. The mortality with RDS was 41 (43.61%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RDS is the commonest cause of respiratory distress in the newborn, particularly, in preterm infants. It carries a high mortality rate and the incidence is more than that documented in the Western world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi. drghafoortariq@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Tariq
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ghafoor
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahmud
authors.forename: Salman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Sarfraz Ahmed
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Dogar
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors