Premature infants are babies born after 37 weeks or less of a woman's pregnancy. Being born prematurely significantly raises a newborn's risks for a number of serious breathing ailments related to incomplete brain development, muscle weakness or insufficient production of certain body substances. Appropriate treatment can support the health of premature newborns until these ailments resolve.
Apnea of Prematurity
Premature newborns may develop apnea of prematurity, a breathing disorder characterized by short episodes of shallow breathing or complete breathing cessation, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine's Medline Plus. Your baby may develop this condition for reasons that include lack of complete brain development and weakness in the muscles that control his airways. Typically, episodes of apnea in newborns last for roughly five to 10 seconds, after which normal breathing patterns return. If your baby has no other health problems or only has occasional apnea, he may receive nothing more than slight physical prompts to resume normal breathing. More serious symptoms may require treatments such as caffeine preparations, body position changes, airway suctioning or use of a breathing mask or machine.
Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Your premature newborn may also develop respiratory distress syndrome, or RDS, a condition characterized by lack of a liquid in the lungs called surfactant, which allows normal lung inflation after birth, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, or NHLBI, reports. In the absence of sufficient surfactant, your child's lungs may collapse or prevent adequate intake of oxygen for brain or organ function. Treatment of RDS involves the use of an artificial surfactant liquid, followed by the use of a ventilator or nasal continuous positive airway pressure machine to provide breathing support. In some cases, your child may also receive doses of oxygen, medication or other supportive therapies.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
The presence of RDS and the use of ventilators can trigger another breathing disorder in premature newborns called bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. The condition is caused by overstretching of the air sacs in your child's lungs and can produce symptoms that include rapid breathing, bluish skin color and low blood oxygen levels. Potential treatments for BPD include taking your child off of ventilation as soon as possible, restriction of fluid intake and improved nutritional support to promote the growth of healthy, new lung tissue.
Related Complications
Children with RDS sometimes also develop patent ductus arteriosus, or PDA, a condition characterized by improper closure of a blood vessel that feeds your child in the womb, the NHLBI notes. Potential effects of PDA include lung hypertension and heart strain. Treatments for the condition include medication, surgery and the use of catheters.
Considerations
If your child has apnea of prematurity, her symptoms will likely resolve after roughly nine months of life, Medline Plus reports. However, severe apnea may affect your child's health for longer periods of time. Symptoms of RDS may resolve in a matter of days as your child's normal breathing functions recover. If your child develops BPD, you must prevent exposure to smoke, fumes or individuals with respiratory illnesses after she leaves the hospital.
