Prediction of respiratory-distress syndrome by shake test on newborn gastric aspirate

NEWBORN intensive-care units have made great strides in treatment of premature infants with respiratory-distress syndrome. Although many such infants can adequately be handled by pediatricians in intermediate-care nurseries, transfer of certain infants with severe respiratory-distress syndrome to special-care nurseries is sometimes delayed, in the hope that they will run the classic self-limited course. Since survival of these infants is partially dependent on early application of appropriate and sophisticated care, it would be helpful to have a simple test to distinguish which babies are deficient in pulmonary surfactant. These babies could then be transferred to the regional intensive-care unit very soon . . .