Neonatal breathing problems range from mild to severe. Some infants only need minor support to resume normal breathing, while others require comprehensive treatment. While there are lots of methods doctors can use to address breathing disorders in newborns, medication is often a factor.
Neonatal pneumonia can happen a few hours after birth, or symptoms may occur within seven days or sometime soon after. For some infants, pneumonia results from a condition called neonatal sepsis, which is a highly invasive systemic infection. Intubated newborns with existing breathing problems also have a higher chance of developing neonatal pneumonia.
Newborns with pneumonia are often treated with two antibiotics. Vancomycin is the first line treatment for this condition, as this antibiotic is effective at treating severe infections. Doctors typically combine vancomycin with a broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic, which can include medications like cefepime and meropenem.
BPD primarily affects pre-term infants, specifically those born 10 weeks prior to their due date. This neonatal breathing issue can cause problems with feeding and gastroesophageal reflux disease, as well as more serious complications like pulmonary hypertension, heart defects, and developmental delays.
When it comes to medications for BPD, doctors can administer drugs that facilitate easier breathing in newborns. These include bronchodilators, which expand the airways and relax the muscles that control the lungs, and diuretics, which reduce both fluid buildup and blood pressure.
While medications are helpful, newborns with BPD may also need assistance from a breathing device called an nCPAP machine or receive a surfactant (a substance that reduces surface tension in the lungs) via a breathing tube.
Newborns can pass stools prior to their first feeding, which is known as meconium. Some infants pass meconium while still in the womb, which causes the stool to integrate with the amniotic fluid. If meconium is inhaled or aspirated by the infant, serious breathing issues may occur.
Doctors can use a few methods to encourage healthy breathing in newborns, including warming measures and actions to stimulate the baby. In other cases, a breathing device may be necessary. As for medications, meconium aspiration can sometimes lead to infections. Accordingly, doctors may administer antibiotic medications to treat the infection.