Symptoms and Treatment of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)

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Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, or BPD, is a condition unique to newborn premature infants who were born before their lungs were fully developed. Because of the immaturity of the lungs, they struggle to get oxygen to their bodies and their lungs become inflamed and scarred from the effort.

BPD can cause coughing, wheezing, and rapid shallow breathing. All these signs indicate the child is struggling to maintain oxygen levels. Reduced oxygen levels will lead to blue coloring around the mouth and fingertips.

This struggle for air can cause a tightening of body muscles, leading to an odd posture in the neck, shoulders, and torso. As the preemie breathes, the ribs and chest clearly get sucked in as the effort to breathe is challenged.

In chest x-rays, a physician can identify BPD because the lungs of the infant actually appear spongy. A child with this condition will generally spend a length of time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) until he or she can breathe without support.

Babies with BPD must be kept warm and given fluids and nutrition through an IV, as they would be unable to feed in this condition. All of their vitals must be constantly monitored. Bronchodilators help keep the baby’s airways open and diuretics can keep the lungs from filling with fluid.

Information on this page is for reference and educational purposes only. For more information about dysplasia, talk to your doctor or primary care provider.

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Scott joined American Medical Sales and Rentals in 2008 as a Web Manager and Content Writer. He is a writer and designer. He is extensively trained on oxygen therapy products from leading manufacturers such as Inogen, Respironics, Chart, Invacare, ResMed and more.

Scott works closely with respiratory therapists and oxygen specialists to educate the community about oxygen therapy products, COPD, asthma and lung diseases. He writes weekly columns and is passionate about educating the community on oxygen therapy and respiratory issues.

About Scott Ridl:

Scott joined American Medical Sales and Rentals in 2008 as a Web Manager and Content Writer. He is a writer and designer. He is extensively trained on oxygen therapy products from leading manufacturers such as Inogen, Respironics, Chart, Invacare, ResMed and more. Scott works closely with respiratory therapists and oxygen specialists to educate the community about oxygen therapy products, COPD, asthma and lung diseases. He writes weekly columns and is passionate about educating the community on oxygen therapy and respiratory issues.

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