Compared with the melatonin-treated respiratory distress syndrome newborns, in the untreated infants the concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα 7 days after onset of the study were higher. In addition, nitrite/nitrate levels at all time points were higher in the untreated respiratory distress syndrome newborns than in the melatonin-treated babies. This evidence concerns the gene TNF and newborn respiratory distress syndrome.