Why is breathing a problem for a baby born prematurely?
When a baby is born a miraculous process occurs. The lungs, which had been filled with fluid, begin to fill up with air. The fluid is absorbed back into the baby’s system and the alveoli (little air sac) in the lungs begin to expand as the baby begins to make attempts to breathe. There is something called surfactant that needs to be present in the lungs for the alveoli to be able to expand. This is pretty much what we are talking about in terms of whether or not the lungs are mature. Without sufficient surfactant the alveoli have a hard time expanding, they sort of stick together. Oxygen needs to be delivered with more force in order to open them up. Immature lungs have less surfactant than mature lungs. When a premature baby is born they usually need help from a bag and mask to help them start breathing. Frequently they need to be intubated to help them continue to breathe. Surfactant can actually be delivered to the lungs through the tube at this point. They are usually intubated onl
