ABSTRACT
This work was carried out to address the relationship between serum levels of prolactin and the development of respiratory distress syndrome as well as its relation to duration of mechanical ventilation. The study divided 50 neonates into two groups. Group I included 30 neonates suffering from respiratory distress syndrome [RDS] who were mechanically ventilated; their mean gestational age was 32.1 +/- 2.2 weeks and their mean birth weight was 1.7 +/- 0.6 kg and group II included 20 healthy neonates free from RDS taken as controls; their mean gestational age was 35.3 +/- 2.4 weeks and their mean birth weight was 2.4 +/- 0.5 kg. All neonates were subjected to full medical history taking and full clinical examination. Neonates with RDS were subjected to plain X-ray chest, blood gases and C reactive protein [CRP] measurement. Serum prolactin [RRL] estimation was done using ELISA technique on the 1st day of life for both patients and controls. Follow up values on the 7th day of life were obtained for patients only. It was concluded that PRL hormone is important in the neonatal period, the deficiency of which is closely related to the development of RDS. These findings greatly raised the possibility of the role of PRL in fetal lung maturation and perhaps surfactant synthesis. Also, it confirmed the strong association between low serum PRL and prolonged respiratory disease in neonates with RDS resulting in prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation