Several factors can impact gas exchange in neonates:
1. Lung maturity: Premature infants often have underdeveloped lungs that lack surfactant, a substance that prevents the alveoli from collapsing. 2. Birth complications: Issues like meconium aspiration or perinatal asphyxia can impair gas exchange. 3. Congenital disorders: Conditions such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia or pulmonary hypoplasia can hinder effective breathing. 4. Infections: Neonatal pneumonia or sepsis can compromise the lungs' ability to exchange gases efficiently.
