By: mad elaine

mad elaine — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:05:59 +0000

it is due to the lungs not being lined with surfactant yet. This is the lubricant inside the lungs that helps them expand and deflate smoothly. If you like, the first time a balloon is inflated, it takes a lot of pressure to blow up. Then, there is a bit of air left in the balloon once you let some air out but not all, it is easier to blow back up again. Just like breathing. The surfactant makes it easier and smoother, and premmie babies have not produced this yet.
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By: colleen

colleen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:55:59 +0000

When my baby was born premature I was told it was because the baby’s lungs were not fully developed
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Comments on: explain why the first breath of a premature baby is more difficult than subsequent breathing?

By: mad elaine

By: colleen