Effect of High Flow Nasal Cannula Versus Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm babies is caused by a deficiency of lung surfactant. The risk of RDS increases with decreasing gestational age, and is almost inevitable in babies born at less than 28 weeks gestation. Without surfactant the lungs become stiff and the alveoli collapse at end-expiration, and untreated RDS is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm infants