Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
The Division of Neonatology at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital has nationally recognized expertise in the research of prevention and treatment of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Almost half of all premature and low-birth weight babies require some type of breathing assistance after birth. In most cases, babies require that assistance for only a short period of time. However, in some babies, predominantly those who are premature and who develop respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), breathing support is needed for a longer timeframe.
The challenge is that longer-term mechanical breathing assistance can also increase the risk of inflammation and scarring in the lungs. In these babies, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) can develop. BPD is a form of chronic lung disease and occurs when the tissue inside the lungs or in the main airways into the lungs (called bronchi) become inflamed and damaged.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention notes that an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 babies in the US develop BPD each year. Most babies recover from BPD, but there can be lingering and long-term breathing problems.
Common symptoms of BPD are:
- Labored breathing
- Rapid breathing
- Wheezing
- Persistent need for oxygen
- Difficulty in feeding
- Repeated lung infections
Treatment & Follow Up
Prevention and treatment options are geared toward minimizing lung damage at its earliest stages. Various medications, including bronchodilators and corticosteroids, can reduce inflammation and make it easier to breathe. Severe forms of BPD require oxygen therapy for months.
BPD puts children at risk for longer-term feeding, airway, and developmental complications, so it is important to follow up with your baby’s doctor regularly.
Reducing the Risk & Impact of BPD
Researchers at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital and Saint Louis University School of Medicine have studied BPD for more than a decade, focusing on methods that reduce its risk and damaging effects. Among them is the use of non-invasive bubble CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), which has been shown to reduce the incidences of BPD. Clinical trials here have led to new protocols for the use of bubble CPAP, not only in the delivery room, but also during emergency transport of young babies from outlying community hospitals.
In addition, research by Noah Hillman, MD, and colleagues at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon and Saint Louis University School of Medicine, found that the use of a specific corticosteroid, Budesonide, when combined with surfactant, decreased the severity of BPD in pre-term babies and resulted in better lung function and less intubations or other complications. That research, which involved the largest published cohort of babies evaluated with the combination therapy, resulted in best practice protocols being established for BPD treatment.