Objective To study the outcome of NRDS treated with HFV. Methods The study was a prospective controlled clinical trial. Twenty-five newborns with NRDS were treated with HFV and another 25 treated with normal frequency ventilation were served as control. Results Twenty newborn infants survived in HFV group, and complicated with neonatal pneumonia in 12, intraventricular hemorrhage in 3, neonatal pulmonary hemorrhage in 4, patent ductus arteriosus in 4, broncho-pulmonary dysplasia in 2, and air Leak in 3. Fourteen newborn infants were survived in control group, and complicated with neonatal pneumonia in 12, patent ductus arteriosus in 8, intraventricular hemorrhage in 4, neonatal pulmorary hemorrhage in 11, broncho-pulmonany in 6, and air Leak in 3. The mean time of mechanical ventalation was 88.6 hrs in survivors of HFV group vs. 154.7 hrs in that of control group. Conclusions The HFV can reduce the mean time used for mechanical ventilation, and it is as safe as normal-frequency ventilation.