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Signs and symptoms of RDS usually happen at birth or within the first few hours that follow. Depending on the severity of a newborn's RDS, he or she may develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia or other medical problems, such as bleeding in the brain, kidney failure, or lung complications.

Taking steps to ensure a healthy pregnancy might prevent your newborn from being born before his or her lungs have fully developed. Your doctor may also give you injections of a corticosteroid medicine if he or she thinks you may give birth too early. This medicine can speed up development of the lungs, brain, and kidneys in your baby and surfactant production.

Certain factors may increase the risk that your newborn will have RDS. These factors include infection, premature delivery, problems with your baby’s lung development, stress during your baby’s delivery, and you having diabetes.

RDS is a type of neonatal respiratory disease that is caused most often by a lack of surfactant in the lungs. A fetus's lungs start making surfactant during the third trimester of pregnancy, or weeks 26 through labor and delivery. Surfactant coats the insides of the air sacs, or alveoli, in the lungs. This helps keep the lungs open so breathing can occur after birth.

Resources and links to help you plan a video focused event for NDAFW.

Resources to assist you in planning a tobacco-focused event for NDAFW.

Resources to assist you in planning a opioids and other prescription drugs-focused event for NDAFW.

How to plan a NDAFW event in Spanish.

Information and resources to assist you in planning a drugged driving focused NDAFW event.

There is a lot of misinformation about drug and alcohol use being distributed to college-age young adults through popular culture, the Internet, TV, movies, contemporary music and social media. National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® is an opportunity to share science based information with these young people who are eager to learn more.