Episode 23: NICU Education: Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) in the NICU

Dr. Joanna Parga-Belinkie, a neonatologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Co-host of the Pediatrics On Call Podcast from the American Academy of Pediatrics, joins the Mighty Littles podcast for the first of (hopefully) many podcasts focused on NICU Education. I received feedback from listeners (families, nurses, and NNPs) that they would appreciate more podcasts focused on NICU education. So I am bringing more education to the podcast, starting this week talking about Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Information on RDS.

Respiratory distress is a common reason infants are admitted to the NICU. But there is a distinction to be made. Respiratory distress is not the same thing as Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). Respiratory distress is a descriptor - the baby is working hard to breathe and has respiratory distress. RDS is a diagnosis, defined by surfactant deficiency.

In this episode, Dr. Joanna Parga-Belinkie and I have a discussion about everything RDS - why babies have RDS, how we diagnose RDS, what our treatment options are, and surfactant!