Bringing a premature baby to a stable condition can be difficult and scary for parents, but there are unusual ways of tackling the challenge. Caffeine and use of the drug Viagra are actually making a difference.
Babies are born prematurely 450,000 times every year, and that number keeps increasing. In fact, in the last generation premature births rose by 35 percent.
Treating tiny babies requires a team of specialists usually, and more often than not, they rely on some unconventional approaches. “There aren’t a lot of medications made specifically for preemies, so we adapt a lot of medicines from the pediatric and adult worlds and use them in our world,” said Edward Shepherd, MD, section chief of Neonatology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “You’d be surprised by the therapies that can make a dramatic difference in the lives of these babies,” he said.
“Because they are born so early and are still developing, many of these little babies simply forget to breathe,” said Dr. Shepherd. “Caffeine stimulates their brains and reminds them to keep breathing.”
Viagra can help with pulmonary hyper tension. The medication helps to relax the lungs so the heart doesn’t haven’t to work so hard to get blood circulating.
