Outlook (Prognosis)
The condition often gets worse for 2 to 4 days after birth. It often improves slowly after that. Some infants with severe respiratory distress syndrome will die. If this occurs, it often happens between days 2 and 7.
Long-term complications may develop due to:
Too much oxygen
High pressures delivered to the lungs
More severe disease. When RDS is worse, it can result in inflammation that causes lung or brain damage.
Periods when the brain or other organs did not get enough oxygen