Which is the link between surfactant and respiratory distress syndrome?

Deficiency: The rds comes in 2 basic forms. That of premature infants that do not yet make enough surfactant, and the older kid/adult who looses their surfactant during an illness or toxic event. The surfactant helps assure that the bag like alveoli of the lung air exchange does not empty completely like a balloon. If it does, extra pressure is needed to inflate it to allow oxygen exchange.