Neonatal Medical Unit
Saint Mary's Hospital
Hathersage Road
Manchester
M13 0JH
0161 276 6537/8
SAINT MARY’S HOSPITAL
NEONATAL MEDICAL UNIT
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Parent Information Leaflet
Surfactant Deficient
Lung Disease
Tel: 0161 276 6206 / 6342
May 2003
TIG 33/03
(SDLD)
Introduction
You have been told that your baby has a
breathing condition called ‘surfactant deficient
lung disease’ (SDLD). Another name for this
condition is respiratory distress syndrome
(RDS). The purpose of this leaflet is to
explain what SDLD is, how it may affect your
baby and how it is treated.
What is Surfactant Deficient Lung
Disease?
Surfactant is naturally produced in a baby’s
(and adult) lungs. Its purpose is to make the
lungs easier to inflate. Babies who do not
have enough surfactant have stiff lungs that
are harder to inflate. These babies may have
difficulty getting enough oxygen into their
body or may become exhausted with the
effort of breathing.
Which babies get SDLD?
SDLD is usually a disease which affects
premature babies born below 30 weeks of
pregnancy. The more premature a baby, the
worse their disease is likely to be. This is
because the baby only starts to make
surfactant in small amounts at around 24
weeks’ gestation. However babies born later
in pregnancy can still sometimes get SDLD,
particularly those with infection or babies of
diabetic mothers. To try and prevent SDLD
happening in babies who are born before 30
weeks’ gestation, we will usually give these
babies artificial surfactant shortly after birth.
What are the signs of SDLD?
Babies with SDLD may develop faster, noisy
breathing and have to work harder to breathe.
The doctors will be able to make the
diagnosis on a chest x-ray. Further x-rays
may be needed to monitor your baby’s
progress.
a further dose is needed. Research shows
that no more than two doses are usually
required. Your baby will also receive
antibiotics because it is very difficult at first to
tell the difference between babies with SDLD
and babies who have an infection. If the
baby’s tests do not show infection then the
antibiotics will be stopped after two days.
Who do I ask for more information?
Please ask to speak to one of the senior
doctors if you have any questions.
How long does SDLD last?
The severity of breathing problems can be
very different for different babies. Many
babies will improve over the first few hours or
days. However some babies can be very sick
with SDLD and may need to be on oxygen or
the ventilator (breathing machine) for several
days or even weeks. Some of these babies
can go on to get a condition called ‘chronic
lung disease’ (CLD), which is discussed in
another leaflet.
How is SDLD treated?
The treatment depends on how bad the
condition is. The mildest cases may simply
need extra oxygen. In more severe cases we
may need to help the baby’s breathing and
use a ventilator for your baby. We can give
extra surfactant. To do this we have to pass
a tube into your baby’s windpipe. Sometimes