Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Radio-diagnosis

Respiratory distress syndrome remains a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The incidence and severity of RDS are inversely proportional to gestational age at birth. Neonatal RDS results specifically from a deficiency in pulmonary surfactant resulting in lungs that are developmentally immature and prone to collapse leading to a functional impairment in alveolar gas exchange. Discussion about the optimal timing of delivery for high-risk pregnancies has therefore focused in large part on the ability of obstetric care providers to identify fetuses at risk of neonatal RDS. Several antenatal tests have been developed in an effort to predict the likelihood of FLM. Although commonly used in obstetric practice, these tests do not have a reliable predictive value, especially in later gestation, and are invasive requiring amniocentesis

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