definition of medical rds program
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS): Formerly known as hyaline membrane disease, a syndrome of respiratory difficulty in newborn infants caused by a deficiency of a molecule called surfactant. RDS almost always occurs in newborns born before 37 weeks of gestation. The more premature the baby is, the greater is the chance of developing RDS. RDS is more likely to occur in newborns of diabetic mothers.