What Causes Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia?
The lungs of babies born more than 10 weeks before
they are due are fragile and easily irritated or injured by things in the
outside environment during the first hours or days after birth.
Doctors now believe that a baby gets
bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) as a result of the way his or her lungs
respond to some of these things, including:
- High levels of oxygen. Doctors usually give
oxygen to newborns with breathing problems. This is to make sure that their
brains, hearts, livers, and kidneys receive enough oxygen to do their jobs. But
high levels of oxygen can cause inflammation in the lungs. This can result in
injury to the breathing passages. High levels of oxygen also can slow the
normal development of the lungs in babies born very early.
- Pressure caused by mechanical ventilation. In the
past, doctors usually put newborns who couldn't breathe on their own on
mechanical ventilators. These machines apply pressure to push air into the
babies' lungs. This pressure can irritate the lungs and cause them to become
more inflamed. Mechanical ventilation is a factor in most cases of BPD.
- Doctors try to minimize the
injury by using ventilation only when absolutely needed. Today, more and more
doctors are putting these babies on nasal continuous positive airway pressure
(NCPAP) machines, which don't put the same kind of pressure on the babies'
lungs.
- Infections. Infections in babies born early can
cause inflammation in their underdeveloped lungs. This narrows the breathing
passages and makes it harder for the baby to breathe. Lung infections also
increase the baby's need for extra oxygen and help with breathing.
Some doctors think that heredity may be a factor in
the development of BPD.
|