Respiratory distress syndrome affects more than 40,000 infants annually in the United States. The overall mortality rate exceeds 20 percent and in infants weighing less than 1500 grams at birth, RDS is responsible for or contributes to the 30-70 percent mortality, depending on birthweight. The present customary treatment of RDS with intermittent mandatory ventilation is accompanied by sequelae such as extra-alveolar air leaks, intraventricular hemorrhage, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in approximately 50 percent of survivors.