A Simple, Promising Treatment for Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn

Transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) is a condition characterized by a respiratory rate >60 breaths per minute, respiratory distress, possible cyanosis, and typical radiographic findings — all in the absence of other neonatal respiratory disorders such as pneumonia, meconium aspiration, or respiratory distress syndrome. Investigators in Turkey randomized 54 newborns (gestational age, 34–39 weeks) with TTN diagnosed during the first day of life to receive either one 0.15 mg/kg dose of the β₂ agonist salbutamol nebulized in saline or nebulized saline alone. Parents and investigators were blinded to the intervention.

Salbutamol was superior to placebo for outcomes, including shorter hospitalization (4 vs. 6 days); decreases in TTN clinical …