Role of Surfactant in Preterm Infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Wasit Province, Iraq

Pulmonary surfactant therapy is a critical intervention for preterm infants with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS). The research paper explores the effects of surfactant therapy on the health outcomes and health indicators in preterm babies in the Al Zahraa Hospital and Fairoz Hospital in the Wasit province (Iraq). The objective of the study is to compare the impact of surfactant therapy on the respiratory and clinical outcomes in preterm infants. The study was a cross-sectional study, which took place in January 2023 to December 2023 and involved 100 preterm infants who were born before gestation of 37 weeks. They were collected using a review of medical records and direct measurements. Demographic (characteristics), clinical examination (results), health indicators, and surfactant therapy were the key variables. The GraphPad Prism Software was used to conduct statistical analyses, i.e. descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and independent samples t-tests. It was found that most of the newborns were male (69.0 percent), and most of them were born between 26-32 gestational weeks (50 percent). Surfactant therapy resulted in a significant reduction of vital signs: SpO2 increased to 97.6 from 95.532. Heart rate decreased to 119.2023.06bpm from 133.2510.35 and respiratory rate reduced to 54.409.96bpm. Infants who survived had less hospital stays (2.59±1.40days) compared to those who did not (5.56±1.86days). Survival was associated with higher birth weights (2.58±0.56kg) compared to lower birth weight (1.71±0.88kg). Random blood sugar (RBS) levels had significantly differed before and after surfactant therapy. To sum it up, surfactant therapy exhibits remarkable positive effects on the respiratory behaviors and other health outcomes among pre-term babies. The treatment is linked to improved survival and the increase in hospital stays. The findings increase the significance of surfactant administration in infants during the initial stages of life to enhance respiratory performance.