Neonatal respiratory failure due to a novel mutation in the surfactant protein C gene.

A full-term infant developed respiratory distress immediately after birth, requiring a prolonged course of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation, followed by high-frequency ventilation. She was unable to wean off mechanical ventilation, required tracheostomy, and ultimately lung transplantation. A novel mutation in the surfactant C protein gene was identified as the cause of her lung disease.