Positive End Expiratory Pressure With A T-piece Resuscitator For Near-Term and Term Infants With Respiratory Distress

Inclusion Criteria: * Near term infants (36-37 weeks gestational age) and Full term infants (38-41 weeks gestational age). * Presence of signs of respiratory distress (Tachypnea, intercostal and subcostal retractions, nasal flaring and grunting) evident shortly after birth. * Cesarean section (CS) was defined as elective when surgery was performed before the onset of labor, with all other cases defined as secondary CS. Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of any of the risk factors for neonatal sepsis such as Prolonged Rupture of Membranes for ≥48 hours (PROM), maternal fever, maternal chorioamnionitis or positive maternal GBS colonization. * Presence of any other cause of respiratory distress, eg. * congenital malformations affecting the cardiorespiratory system , * chromosomal aberrations, * depression at birth (Apgar score at 5 minutes of \< 7 or umbilical artery pH of \< 7.10), * fetal hydrops, * persistent pulmonary hypertension, * and meconium aspiration syndrome.