Lungs surfactants are administered to prevent and treat neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). RDS is a serious consequence of premature delivery that affects over 40,000 infants in the United States and Canada every year. The lungs eventually collapse due to low lung compliance caused by a functional or quantitative surfactant deficit. Surfactant, a mixture of phospholipids, neutral lipids, and proteins created by pneumocytes during pregnancy, lowers surface tension and thereby stabilizes alveoli, increasing lung compliance and reducing shortness of breath.
