The causes of PPHN
Posted on 02. Apr, 2011 by lawyer in Child Injuries
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) is a potentially life-threatening disorder which affects a newborn’s ability to breathe properly on its own.
When a baby is still in the womb, the mother’s placenta provides it with oxygen through the umbilical cord. Oxygenated blood is sent from the placenta to other body organs through a blood vessel in the umbilical cord. After an infant is born, the umbilical blood vessel should close and the baby should instead begin to receive oxygen from the lungs. In a baby with PPHN, however, the blood vessel remains open and blood is unable to travel through the lungs in a normal fashion.
Causes of PPHN
The causes of PPHN in a newborn are often unknown, but some possible causes have been identified by physicians and researchers. The risk of PPHN may increase if the baby experiences stress in the uterus as a result of complications in the mother’s pregnancy. These problems may include maternal diabetes, anemia, high blood pressure or delivery after the normal 40-weeks gestation period.
Some congenital problems and diseases that affect a baby’s lungs also may be associated with PPHN. Birth asphyxia, when an infant doesn’t receive enough oxygen during a complex delivery, has been linked with PPHN. Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is also considered a potential cause of PPHN. In MAS, a newborn breathes a mixture of amniotic fluid and meconium (early feces) into the lungs during delivery. Pneumonia, anemia, respiratory distress syndrome, lung hypoplasia and hypoglycemia also are believed to be possible causes of the development of PPHN.
Certain antidepressants also are considered to have an impact on the development of the lung disorder. Normally, PPHN occurs in one to two births in every 1000. However, pregnant women who took SSRI antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) after the 20th week of their pregnancy saw an increase in the prevalence of the disease. About six to 12 of every 1000 babies born to those mothers developed PPHN. The SSRIs studied included a wide variety of patented brand name and generic drugs.
Symptoms and prognosis
The symptoms of PPHN typically appear within 12 hours after a baby is born. An infant with PPHN may show signs of rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat and respiratory distress. The baby may have a bluish tint to the skin, called cyanosis. A doctor’s examination of the infant may reveal a heart murmur, low blood pressure, an enlarged liver or low oxygen levels in the blood.
It is important for PPHN to be diagnosed and treated promptly to minimize long-term damage. Some of the causes of PPHN are treatable, but others may cause lasting health problems for the child. Heart or kidney failure, brain hemorrhage and even death are possible.
Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm, has provided this article for informational purposes only, written by an independent author, and has not reviewed or edited this article and is not responsible for its content or accuracy.
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