New Advances in Prevention of Hyaline Membrane Disease

Abstract

Dr Mary Ellen Avery, a researcher in one of McGill's teaching hospitals, has worked for some years on the causes and treatment of hyaline membrane disease, which kills thousands of babies every year. When the lung is immature it lacks a substance (surfactant) which increases the elasticity of the lung and helps it to retain air. By administering steroids to premature babies whose lungs are still immature, Dr Avery and her team have succeeded in accelerating the maturation process, and thereby the production of the surfactant. The same researchers have also discovered that by administering small doses of a substance produced by the pituitary gland, they can make the fetus activate its own steroid production, bring- ing about more rapid maturation of the lung.