This rapid breathing begins shortly after birth and the baby's breathing rate usually becomes normal within 24 to 48 hours. Another name for TTN is retained lung fluid. After birth, the baby takes her first breath and the lungs fill with air, replacing the fluid. The baby's blood absorbs the lung fluid, or she coughs the fluid out. The absorption process usually takes several hours.
Some babies have extra fluid or absorb the fluid too slowly.
The fluid makes the lungs stiff, causing the baby to breathe faster and harder than normal. As the fluid is absorbed, it becomes easier to breathe and the baby's breathing rate becomes normal. The process of labor and vaginal birth squeezes the baby's chest wall and prepares the lungs for the first breath. When newborns have breathing problems they are taken to the SCN for observation and treatment. They are placed on a warming bed.