respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn

7.9

A serious lung problem in newborn babies, often premature, when their lungs cannot open properly and they have trouble breathing

noun
/ˌrɛspəˈrɑɪtɔri dɪˈstrɛs ˈsɪndroʊm əv ðə nuˈbɔrn/

Specialized

: síndrome de dificultad respiratoria del recién nacido

Treatment for respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn may include supplemental oxygen and surfactant therapy.

Examples

The risk of respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn increases with lower gestational age.
Doctors closely monitor premature infants for signs of respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn.
The baby has respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn.
Doctors diagnosed the baby with respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn.
Doctors closely monitor premature infants for signs of respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn.
The risk of respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn increases with lower gestational age.
Treatment for respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn may include supplemental oxygen and surfactant therapy.

Synonyms

respiratory distress syndrome

vsrespiratory distress syndrome of the newborn

Specialized

1 6.5

A serious lung problem in premature babies whose lungs cannot stay open so they breathe fast and look blue

is focused specifically on premature babies rather than all patients

hyaline membrane disease

vsrespiratory distress syndrome of the newborn

Archaic

8.7

A serious lung problem in babies born too early that makes breathing hard

emphasizes breathing difficulty from surfactant lack rather than the glassy layer

Surface Forms

respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn singular

respiratory distress syndromes of the newborn plural

Morphology

respiratory + distress + syndrome + of + the + newborn

The phrase is fully compositional: 'respiratory' (relating to breathing) + 'distress' (difficulty/suffering) + 'syndrome' (a set of symptoms) + 'of the newborn' (occurring in newborn babies) directly yields the meaning of a breathing-related medical condition in newborns. Although clinical and somewhat technical, this naming follows standard medical compounding patterns found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can reasonably infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn is a plain description: respiratory means breathing, distress means serious trouble, and newborn means a very young baby. It paints the image of a baby whose lungs cannot open well because they lack a slippery liquid, so the phrase means 'a newborn with major breathing problems'.