Respiratory disorders remain a major cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. This review focuses on clinical trials and diagnostic procedures in neonatal respiratory disorders reported from October 1991 to September 1992. It leaves out animal studies, artificial ventilation techniques, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and follow-up studies. Surfactant substitution comes of age and first side effects of this successful treatment are described. Infection with ureaplasma urealyticum seems to contribute to chronic lung disease. The latter can be effectively treated with dexamethasone. However, because of numerous and severe side effects, this treatment requires scrupulous risk-benefit evaluation in each case.