[Problems in inducing pulmonary maturation in relation to premature delivery].

At presents efforts are made to find valid early markers of premature delivery and if it is inevitable to use an optimal therapeutic protocol for induction of pulmonary maturity which may lead to reduction of early neonatal mortality and morbidity (intraventricular-periventricular haemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, air-leak syndrome, respiratory distress syndrome--RDS). Hitherto used corticoid monotherapy reduced the incidence of RDS in neonates with a birth weight lower than 1500 g but the incidence is still relatively high and RDS is still one of the main causes of death of immature neonates. Even the use of thyrotropic hormones did not reduce its incidence. Another possible therapeutic approach is ambroxol administration in combination with corticoids. In the presented review the authors discuss the problem of optimal induction of pulmonary maturity in relation to premature delivery.