Symptoms
The following symptoms usually start immediately or within a few hours after birth:
- Difficulty breathing, apnea
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- Delayed or weak cry
- Grunting noise with every breath
- Flaring of the nostrils
- Frothing at the lips
- Blue color around the lips and nailbeds
- Swelling of the extremities
- Decreased urine output
Diagnosis
The doctor will ask about the mother's medical history and pregnancy. The baby will also be evaluated, as outlined here:
Before Birth
Amniotic fluid may be tested for indicators of fetal lung maturity such as:
- Surfactant
- Lecithin:sphingomyelin ratio
- Phosphatidyl glycerol
After Birth
- Laboratory studies—performed to rule out infection
- Physical exam—includes checking the baby's breathing and looking for bluish color around the lips and nailbeds
- Testing for blood gases—to check the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood
- Chest x-ray —a test that uses radiation to take a picture of structures inside the body, in this case, the chest
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