Health Economic Studies of Surfactant Replacement Therapy in Neonates with Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Systematic Literature Review.

Background: Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is one of the most common problems for preterm infants, and symptoms include tachypnoea, grunting, retractions and cyanosis, which occur immediately after birth. Treatment with surfactants has reduced morbidity and mortality rates associated with neonatal RDS.

Objective: The objective of this review is to describe the treatment costs, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and economic evaluations of surfactant use in the treatment of neonates with RDS.