The most common respiratory disease encountered in infants admitted for neonatal intensive care is the respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn, which occurs mostly in prematurely born infants who lack adequate endogenous surfactant and have immature and underdeveloped lungs. Premature infants with acute respiratory distress can sometimes progress into a chronic respiratory disorder, called bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which is developmental and multifactorial and can be the result of numerous interrelated prenatal, perinatal and postnatal aetiological factors. Term infants can also suffer from acute respiratory complications, such as commonly transient tachypnoea of the newborn, which are usually less persistent in severity and are rarely associated with severe long-term complications. Term infants can also suffer from rare but severe congenital lung anomalies, such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia with significant morbidity and mortality and long term consequences on respiratory health and on general growth and development.