DISCUSSION:
Respiratory distress is a common cause of hospital admission in the neonatal period and is responsible for 20% of neonatal mortality. Placement of patients with RD in prone position has been shown to improve oxygenation. The proposed mechanism by which prone position improves oxygenation is multi-factorial and includes better diaphragmatic movement, recruitment of formerly collapsed dependent lung regions, redistribution of pulmonary blood flow to better ventilated regions, enhanced drainage of airway secretions and increased negative pleural pressure.7
Similarly, repositioning these patients back to supine position has often been associated with a noticeable
deterioration in gas exchange. We found that oxygen
saturation improved with prone positioning within 2
hours.