How common is respiratory distress syndrome?
NRDS is a common complication of premature birth and affects about 1% of all pregnancies. It is estimated that 50% of babies who are born before 32 weeks will develop NRDS. ARDS is a rare condition. In England there are an estimated 78 new cases of ARDS a year for every 100,000 people. The most common cause of ARDS is a serious infection, such as a lung infection (pneumonia) or blood poisoning (sepsis). ARDS can also develop if the lungs become injured through: • drowning, • smoke inhalation, or • severe trauma, such as a car crash.
