Floodlaw Group

Free Consultation:

202-756-1970 202-756-1970

202-756-1970 202-756-1970

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN)

The baby, once born, does not breathe like the fetus it was only a few hours previously. In the womb, the baby does not use its lungs to oxygenate the blood. These organs are waiting to do their work after the infant is born. Instead, in the uterus, the baby receives oxygenated blood as well as nutrients through the umbilical cord attached to the placenta and the mother.

Once the infant is born, the lungs are supposed to assume their regular function of supplying oxygen to the blood so that the blood can carry the oxygen throughout the body and deliver it to all the body's organs and tissues. In babies born with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), the normal circulation of blood facilitated by the heart and lungs does not take place. The result is oxygen-poor blood.

PPHN occurs in about one in every 700 infants.

Symptoms of PPHN

Symptoms of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn include:

  • Bluish tinge to the baby's skin, indicating not enough oxygen is being delivered to the tissues.
  • Rapid breathing
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Indications of respiratory distress such as flaring nostrils and grunting
  • Sometimes the doctor can hear a heart murmur using a stethoscope

Complications of PPHN

PPHN is serious and the infant needs continuous monitoring and care. Even if attention is prompt and treatment is started quickly, the disorder may cause the tissues to lack an adequate an amount of oxygen. This may lead to:

  • Shock
  • Heart failure
  • Brain hemorrhage
  • Seizures
  • Kidney failure
  • Multiple organ damage
  • Death

Even when the condition is promptly treated, long-term consequences may result. The babies may have:

  • Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a chronic lung disorder characterized by scarred, stiffened lungs
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Seizure disorders
  • Developmental delays
  • Neurological deficits

These babies may need to be fed by a tube through the mouth or inserted into the stomach for several weeks after the PPHN has been treated. Hearing problems and hearing loss are common in babies who are born with PPHN.

FDA Warning about Antidepressants and PPHN in Newborns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published an alert in July 2006 warning doctors and parents that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a form of antidepressants, had been linked to PPHN.

The FDA alert said that a recent controlled study had shown that when mothers took SSRIs after the 20th week of pregnancy, their babies were six times more likely to be born with PPHN than babies born to mothers who had not taken SSRIs. The study was published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

As a result of the study information, the FDA was alerting the public and requiring the drug makers of SSRIs to update their prescribing information. Doctors were advised to "carefully consider and go over with patients the potential risks and benefits of taking SSRIs during pregnancy."

SSRI Drug Names

The following include some commonly prescribed SSRIs:

Talk to a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your baby was diagnosed with PPHN and you took an SSRI during your pregnancy, you may be eligible for financial compensation. To discuss your options with a qualified birth defect lawyer, please contact the Flood Law Group today.