Final answer:
Premature newborns lacking sufficient pulmonary surfactant are prone to Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), a condition where alveoli collapse making it difficult for the lungs to inflate. The correct multiple-choice answer, which refers to a long-term consequence of untreated RDS, is a) Bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Step-by-step explanation:
Premature newborns with insufficient surfactant in their lungs may suffer from a condition where their alveoli collapse, known as Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). RDS is a consequence of the insufficient production of pulmonary surfactant, which is essential for reducing surface tension in the lungs and allowing the alveoli to remain open during the breathing process. As a result, affected premature newborns encounter difficulties in inflating their lungs, leading to dyspnea, lowered oxygen levels, and higher carbon dioxide levels in the blood.
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) primarily occurs in infants born prematurely. A small amount of pulmonary surfactant is produced starting around 20 weeks of gestation, but this amount is not sufficient to enable proper lung inflation at birth in premature babies. The correct answer to the multiple-choice question is a) Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which often results from untreated RDS and involves long-term breathing problems. However, when referring to the immediate condition related to insufficient surfactant causing difficulty in inflating the lungs, the appropriate term is Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), also historically referred to as hyaline membrane disease.