Delayed transition from fetal circulation
- Rapid transition from fetal life to neonatal life is a complex adaption process involving rapid pulmonary changes (eg, clearance of lung fluid, surfactant secretion, decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance, increase in pulmonary blood flow), cardiovascular changes (transition from fetal to neonatal cardiovascular circulation), endocrine changes, and central nervous system changes that support this transition
- Infants with delayed transition from fetal circulation present with hypoxia, poor respiratory drive, and low cardiac output
- Differentiated clinically from meconium aspiration syndrome predominantly by clinical course, as symptoms self-resolve within the first few hours of life with supportive measures
