Respiratory system: mechanics of breathing, lung volumes
Physiology · MBBS
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A premature baby grunts and breathes fast; X-ray shows hazy lungs. Born before surfactant production (before ~28–32 weeks), the baby's alveoli collapse each exhalation — respiratory distress syndrome. Every breath must pry them open again: grunting (breathing against a partly closed glottis) keeps pressure up, tachypnea compensates. Giving artificial surfactant down the breathing tube plus CPAP pressure transforms survival — replacing exactly the missing molecule.
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