Chronic lung disease of the newborn

It is a lung disease that affects premature newborns or those who required assisted ventilation at birth.

Causes and risk factors

It is a typical affectation of very premature babies or those who have received high concentrations of oxygen for a long time and who have needed artificial ventilation.

Risk factor's:

• Prematurity (especially those born before 32 weeks of gestation)
• Lung infection at birth
• Congenital heart disease
• Administering high concentrations of oxygen to newborns
• Assisted ventilation

Symptoms

Babies have cyanosis (bluish color of the skin due to the lack of proper oxygenation of the body); they also have a cough and shortness of breath: they breathe fast and with great effort.

In these babies it is difficult to withdraw oxygen or assisted ventilation; on the one hand it is necessary for its treatment and, on the other, it worsens the chronic lung disease of the newborn.

Diagnosis

To confirm the disease, a determination of oxygen in the blood and an imaging test: chest x-ray and CT scan are performed.

Evolution and treatment

Treatment, depending on the severity of the bronchopulmonary dysplasia, can range from just the use of oxygen to the need to help the baby breathe with assisted ventilation.

Medicines that help improve the baby's lung conditions may also be necessary: ​​corticosteroids, diuretics, bronchodilators, and lung surfactant.

In the treatment of these babies, good nutrition with extra calories is essential, since they have so much difficulty breathing that they expend a lot of energy.

Recovery for these babies is slow and they often require oxygen for many months after discharge from the hospital.

When these babies go home it is very possible that they carry oxygen; It is important to avoid viral respiratory infections in these children, as it can affect them more seriously:

• Wash your hands very well when touching the baby
• Avoid contact with the baby if the person has a cold or fever
• Avoid smoking in front of the baby
• Little contact with other children (virus diseases are very common in children)

In the most serious cases, the sequelae can last a lifetime or cause the death of the baby.

Prevention

Prevention is often complicated. Ideally, preterm delivery should be avoided as much as possible and the time of assisted ventilation for babies who need it should be minimized.