Uncommon Infant and Newborn Problems – Pulmonary Hypertension

Also called: Pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is high blood pressure in the arteries to your lungs. It is a serious condition. If you have it, the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to your lungs become hard and narrow. Your heart has to work harder to pump the blood through. Over time, your heart weakens and cannot do its job and you can develop heart failure.

Symptoms of PH include

Shortness of breath during routine activity, such as climbing two flights of stairs
Tiredness
Chest pain
A racing heartbeat
Pain on the upper right side of the abdomen
Decreased appetite

As PH worsens, you may find it hard to do any physical activities.

There are two main kinds of PH. One runs in families or appears for no known reason. The other kind is related to another condition, usually heart or lung disease.

There is no cure for PH. Treatments can control symptoms. They involve treating the heart or lung disease, medicines, oxygen, and sometimes lung transplantation.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Cor pulmonale (Medical Encyclopedia)
Lung diffusion testing (Medical Encyclopedia)
Pulmonary angiography (Medical Encyclopedia)
Pulmonary hypertension (Medical Encyclopedia)

It can be scary when your baby is sick, especially when it is not an everyday problem like a cold or a fever. You may not know whether the problem is serious or how to treat it. If you have concerns about your baby’s health, call your health care provider right away.

Learning information about your baby’s condition can help ease your worry. Do not be afraid to ask questions about your baby’s care. By working together with your health care provider, you make sure that your baby gets the best care possible.