The respiratory therapist is evaluating a newborn with mild respiratory distress due to tracheal stenosis. During which period of lung development did this problem develop?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The initial structures of the pulmonary tree develop during the embryonal stage. Errors in development during this time may result in laryngeal, tracheal, or esophageal atresia or stenosis. Pulmonary hypoplasia, an incomplete development of the lungs characterized by an abnormally low number and/or size of bronchopulmonary segments and/or alveoli, can develop during the pseudoglandular phase. If the fetus is born during the canalicular phase (i.e., prematurely), severe respiratory distress can be expected because the inadequately developed airways, along with insufficient and immature surfactant production by alveolar type II cells, give rise to the constellation of problems known as infant respiratory distress syndrome.

The Respiratory Therapist Is Evaluating a Newborn with Mild Respiratory