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Key Points
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a serious
lung condition. It affects mostly babies who are born more than 10 weeks before
their due dates and have breathing problems at birth.
- Most babies who develop BPD are born with serious
respiratory
distress syndrome (RDS). With treatment, RDS usually gets better within 2
to 4 weeks, but some babies get worse and develop BPD.
- The lungs of the babies who are born with RDS and
go on to develop BPD are less developed than those of babies with RDS who
recover. These babies are also more likely than other infants to have problems
in other parts of their bodies that are not yet fully developed.
- The earlier a baby is born and the lower his or
her weight at birth, the greater the chances the baby will develop
bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
- About 5,000 to 10,000 babies born in the United
States each year develop BPD.
- Signs and symptoms of RDS at birth include rapid,
shallow breathing; sharp pulling in of the chest below the ribs with each
breath taken in; grunting sounds during exhalation; and flaring of the nostrils
during breathing.
- Doctors usually conduct a number of tests on
newborns with breathing problems to make sure they diagnose their condition
correctly. These include blood tests,
chest x ray, and
echocardiogram.
- Doctors grade BPD as mild, moderate, or severe,
depending on how much extra oxygen the baby needs and how long he or she needs
it.
- The goals of treatment for babies with BPD are to
reduce further injury to the lungs and provide nutrition and other support to
help the lungs grow and recover.
- Today, most babies with BPD recover, and many go
on to live normal, active lives. Parents can take steps to help their babies
recover and grow as normally as possible.
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