When you think of babies, especially preemies, you probably won't associate caffeine, much more Viagra. But whether you believe it or not, both are actually being used by a hospital to make sure that these babies who came out before they are due will have the best chance of survival.
There are many reasons why pregnant women go into labor before their actual due date. Sometimes they are induced due to health reasons such as pre-eclampsia, which causes an abnormal blood pressure. Either way, premature babies, who are also known as preemies, need more help in order to survive. These include the ability to breathe properly on their own.
The doctors working in Nationwide Children's Hospital understand this need. They have to take care of more than 4,000 premature babies each year. Although a number unfortunately can't make it, most do, and it's because of their tireless efforts to make them well-even if it means using unconventional types of treatment.
One of these is caffeine, which is found in both tea and coffee. Many studies can already prove that caffeine is an energy booster. It keeps your body and mind alert for a certain period of time. That's why you usually drink it early in the morning or when trying to beat a deadline.
Caffeine is given to babies also for a similar reason. According to these hospital doctors, sometimes preemies forget how to breathe for a few seconds. That may not sound so serious, but for babies who need as much oxygen as it can to keep themselves strong and their brain in good condition, a split-second non-breathing can be disastrous.
Caffeine ensures they don't forget that by brain, lung, and diaphragm stimulation. Caffeine is given once the babies are no longer in ventilators.
They also give Viagra, or sildenafil, to prevent pulmonary hypertension, which affects around 2% of premature babies. This condition is characterized by the hardening of the lungs and heart causing the latter to exert more effort to deliver blood to the lungs. Although the drug isn't approved by the Food and Drug Administration for infants, it can be used in emergency situations. It relaxes these vital organs ease pressure from the heart.
