RESUMO
The Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) is one of the most frequent pathologies in the premature neonates and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to determine the association between parental smoking and the development of this syndrome. This study was an observational, longitudinal, retrospective, analytical, prolective type, with the neonates in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Hospital Regional Monterrey (HRMI), who developed RDS (cases) and those that do not (controls), during the period January 2012 - April 2015, in both groups were determined the smoking habits of the father and the statistical analysis using SPSS (v. 14). The total sample was 85 RN, of which 46 developed SDR and 39 didn´t develop it, predominantly the genre male (56%). Seventy per cent of the group of parents who denied smoking, their children developed SDR, while 64% of parents who reported smoking, their children did not manifest this syndrome. The p-value was of 0.002, OR = 0.245, with 0.099 to 0.607 range. CONCLUSION: Parental smoking isn´t a risk factor for the development of RDS in the neonates, it could be considered a protective factor.