title: Surfactant deficiency in transient tachypnea of the newborn.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate surfactant production and function in term neonates with transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples of gastric aspirates collected within 30 minutes of birth from 42 term newborns with gestational age ≥ 37 weeks (21 patients with TTN and 21 control subjects), delivered via elective cesarean delivery, were analyzed with lamellar body count and stable microbubble test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results of lamellar body counts and stable microbubble tests were significantly lower in the TTN group than in control subjects (P = .004 and .013, respectively). Lamellar body counts were significantly lower in infants with TTN requiring oxygen for ≥ 24 hours after birth than in infants requiring oxygen for < 24 hours (P = .029). When the cutoff point was 48 hours, the stable microbubble count was significantly lower in the group requiring oxygen for ≥ 48 hours than in the group requiring oxygen for < 48 hours (P = .047).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Term infants with TTN had low lamellar body counts associated with decreased surfactant function, suggesting that prolonged disease is associated with surfactant abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Hospital São Lucas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, and Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Liane Unchalo
authors.initials: LU
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Humberto Holmer
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Fiori
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baldisserotto
authors.forename: Pedro Celiny
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Ramos Garcia
authors.forename: Ana Cláudia Garcia
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Renato Machado
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Fiori
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005750:Gastric Juice / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology; D008297:Male; D045423:Microbubbles; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000032:analysis*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D059245:Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants