Final answer:
Pleural effusion can be diagnosed before birth using advanced ultrasound imaging. If a newborn has insufficient pulmonary surfactant, difficulties in inflating the lungs may occur, leading to respiratory distress.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks if pleural effusion can be diagnosed before birth using ultrasound. The answer is that modern ultrasonography, including advanced 3D imaging techniques, allows for the detection of numerous conditions in utero, and pleural effusion can indeed be one of them.
Ultrasound is a crucial tool in prenatal care and is commonly used to assess fetal development and to identify abnormalities early in pregnancy. Furthermore, if a baby is born prematurely, before type II cells produce sufficient pulmonary surfactant, one might expect that the infant would have difficulty inflating the lungs due to the increased surface tension in the alveoli. This condition can lead to severe respiratory distress, indicating the need for immediate medical intervention.