Clinicoetiological Profile of Infants Presenting with Respiratory Distress

causes of respiratory distress in an emergency hospital setting is scanty. 8Given this gap in the literature, our study aimed to evaluate the clinical and etiological profile of infants presenting with respiratory distress to a tertiary care hospital.By identifying the spectrum of causes and associated clinical features, we aim to support early diagnosis and appropriate management, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality in this vulnerable population. Materials a n d MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics at a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, India.Infants aged 1 to 12 months presenting with respiratory distress were enrolled after obtaining written informed consent from parents or introduction Respiratory problems are common in infancy and constitute a large percentage of pediatric admissions.Infants with respiratory problems present with respiratory distress, which has a wide spectrum of clinical signs and symptoms.Common symptoms are fast breathing, fever, cough, bluish discoloration, irritability, or lethargy, and predominant signs include tachypnea, tachycardia, nasal flaring, chest retractions, grunting, and wheezing.Even though infants with respiratory problems present as respiratory distress, underlying etiologies are multiple. 1he most common and important causes are pneumonia, bronchiolitis, croup, congenital heart disease, gastroesophageal reflux, and allergic reactions.Over the past 30 years, hospitalization rates have increased from 1% to 3% of all infants.Bronchiolitis affects more than one-third of children in the first 2 years of life.Thus, there are many studies conducted on infants with bronchiolitis with more emphasis on clinical characteristics, management, burden of hospitalization, and duration of length of stay in hospital. 2Acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years of age, which accounts for 15% of the total deaths. 3Studies have been conducted extensively on pneumonia in children under 5 years of age.Also, there are many studies on neonates with respiratory distress with a focus on etiology, presentation, and management. 4,5ost studies published on infants presenting with respiratory distress have focused on specific etiology, such as bronchiolitis. 6,7