Transient tachypnea - newborn

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TTN; Wet lungs - newborns; Retained fetal lung fluid; Transient RDS

Transient tachypnea is a respiratory disorder usually seen shortly after delivery in babies who are born near or at term. Transient means it is short-lived (usually less than 24 hours) and tachypnea means rapid breathing (most normal newborns take 40-60 breaths per minute).

During fetal life the lungs make a special fluid that fills the lungs and helps them to grow. At term, chemicals released during labor tell the lungs to stop making this special fluid and to start removing or reabsorbing it. The first few breaths your baby takes after delivery fill the lungs with air and help to clear most of the remaining lung fluid. Passage through the birth canal may also help clear some fluid by squeezing the chest.

If your baby was born prior to term (less than 38 weeks) he may not respond as well to the chemical signals released during labor leaving more fluid in the lung at birth.

If you had a cesarean section (C-section) without being in labor, the chemical signals telling the lung to stop making and start removing lung fluid are not as strong, again leaving more fluid in the lung at the time of birth. If you have diabetes or received large amounts of pain medications during labor your baby is also at risk of developing TTN.

Review Date: 12/04/2006
Reviewed By: Rachel A. Lewis, MD, FAAP, Columbia University Pediatric Faculty Practice, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.