The respiratory distress syndrome: Risk related to maternal factors

Abstract

The incidence of the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) of premature infants born to mothers delivering successive low birth weight (LBW) infants is presented. For mothers delivered of successive LBW infants, a healthy LBW infant followed a healthy LBW infant 129/134 times and a LBW infant with the RDS followed a LBW infant with the RDS 9/12 times.The incidence of the RDS among LBW infants born to female relatives of high and low risk mothers and the general population was determined. The incidence of the RDS or probable RDS for LBW infants of female relatives of low risk mothers was 7 per cent, for LBW infants of mothers of indeterminate risk was 15 per cent (general population), and for LBW infants of female relatives of high risk mothers was 42 per cent. The LBW infants born to female relatives of high risk mothers also had a higher mortality rate.On the basis of the data presented, it is proposed that there exists a genetically determined “RDS predisposition factor” which when present in a mother predisposes her low birth weight infants to the development of the respiratory distress syndrome.