Common clinical manifestations of respiratory distress syndrome include which of the following?

• A. Hypotension and bradycardia
• B. Nasal flaring, grunting, retractions, tachypnea
• C. Weight gain and warmth
• D. Hyperglycemia

Answer: (B)

Respiratory distress syndrome in newborns is caused by surfactant deficiency, which makes the lungs stiff and hard to inflate, leading to increased work of breathing and rapid breathing. The most characteristic signs are nasal flaring, grunting, retractions, and tachypnea. Nasal flaring shows the infant’s effort to draw more air in; grunting is a self-preserving expiratory sound that helps maintain airway pressure and prevent alveolar collapse; retractions reflect the extra muscular work to expand the chest; tachypnea is the body's attempt to improve oxygenation despite poor gas exchange. While a critically ill infant can have other issues like unstable heart rate or blood pressure, those are not the defining features of RDS. Weight gain, warmth, and hyperglycemia aren’t typical manifestations of this condition.