In plain words
Transient tachypnea of the newborn is a short period of fast breathing that starts soon after birth. Some fluid stays in the baby's lungs and is slow to clear. It is most common after a planned before labor, and less common the closer the baby is to full term. Signs include breathing faster than usual, grunting, flaring nostrils, or a chest that pulls in with each breath. Most babies improve within a few days. Care teams watch breathing closely and may give oxygen or extra support. Call your baby's team right away if breathing looks hard or the color changes.
The deeper version
A self-limited respiratory disorder of term and late-preterm neonates from delayed clearance of fetal lung fluid, reflecting slow switching from chloride-driven secretion to sodium-driven absorption in the alveolar epithelium. Labor's and cortisol surge accelerates this switch, and infants delivered by prelabor cesarean miss it, which is why TTN is more common after planned cesarean than after labor at the same gestational age. Chest radiograph findings include perihilar streaking and fluid in the fissures. Management is supportive, and the course usually resolves within 24 to 72 hours.
Where it comes up
- Breastfeeding after a cesareanFeeding Your Baby
- Planning a cesareanGetting Ready for Birth
- What happens in a cesareanBirth and the First Days
What mothers here say about transient tachypnea of the newborn
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Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Cesarean Delivery on Maternal Request, Committee Opinion 761, 2019
- American Academy of Pediatrics and American Heart Association — Neonatal Resuscitation Program, 9th edition, 2021