When babies are in the womb, their lungs do not exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide as they do after they are born. Instead, blood bypasses the lungs through small holes in the heart that lead to large blood vessels. As soon as most babies take their first breath of air, these small holes close and the blood is rerouted to the lungs. In some babies, however, the blood continues to bypass the lungs causing persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN), or persistent fetal circulation.
Neonatologists at South Miami Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can treat babies with this problem with nitric oxide. This gas, given to the baby through a ventilator, relaxes blood vessels in the lungs, allowing for normal blood flow. This life-saving treatment has been shown to prevent the need for a more invasive treatment known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, where an infant's blood is pumped through an artificial lung.
For more information about nitric oxide treatment of newborns at South Miami Hospital, call 786-662-8160.