Lung Surfactant, Respiratory Failure, and Genes

After the first observation of surfactant deficiency in infants who were dying of the respiratory distress syndrome (also known as hyaline membrane disease), a series of investigations led to effective therapies, including surfactant therapy given at birth. These therapies, in turn, have led to a dramatic decrease in mortality associated with the respiratory distress syndrome, from nearly 100 percent to less than 10 percent. Most infants who die from the syndrome are preterm. Surfactant therapy is usually not required beyond the first day of life, because the turnover of surfactant is slow in newborns, and the rapid differentiation of alveolar . . .