Gastric Aspirate Lecithin/Sphingomyelin Ratio and Neonatal Breathing Difficulties

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Abstract
Gastric aspirate lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratios in newborn [human] infants at risk to develop breathing difficulties were studied. Of the infants with an immature L/S value, 51.6% developed clinical respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). In the RDS infants, the gastric aspirate L/S value was immature in 94.1%. The gastric aspirate L/S values of the infants with transient tachypnea or perinatal asphyxia did not differ significantly from those of the healthy infants. RDS severity correlated inversely to the gastric aspirate L/S value (r = -0.63, P < 0.001, n = 17). Gastric aspirate L/S value can be used in differential diagnosis between RDS and other neonatal breathing difficulties. It is also a predictor of the severity of the developing RDS.