Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Care for Chronic Lung Disease in Infants

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is one of the few places in the world able to provide specialized care for bronchopulmonary dysplasia in infants. https://www.chop.edu/neocld

0:13 What is bronchopulmonary dysplasia?
0:22 What causes bronchopulmonary dysplasia?
1:19 What is the Newborn and Infant Chronic Lung Disease Program?
1:47 What is the treatment for bronchopulmonary dysplasia in infants?
2:37 Explaining the NICU at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
3:28 Patient volume for bronchopulmonary dysplasia in infants
5:07 Tracheostomy for infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia
6:28 Long-term outlook for infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) — also referred to as chronic lung disease of infancy — is the abnormal growth and development of the lungs due to prematurity. Extremely low-birth-weight premature infants need the help of a ventilator to breathe. While the ventilator keeps them alive, it damages their underdeveloped lungs. BPD is a neonatal lung disease that typically occurs when premature babies whose lungs are not fully developed are exposed to multiple stressors such as high oxygen, infection and high levels of mechanical ventilation. The condition can be life-threatening if not managed properly.

Very few programs in the world have the resources to offer the level of specialized care provided for chronic lung disease in premature babies that the Newborn and Infant Chronic Lung Disease Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia provides. The program has treated more than 400 infants with the most severe BPD since it began in 2010.

In this video, neonatologists and pulmonologists explain what causes BPD in infants, bronchopulmonary dysplasia treatment options, care in the NICU, the benefits of tracheostomy surgery, the team required to manage chronic lung disease in neonates, long-term care, and the support services Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offers families. The video also shares anecdotes from a family whose child is a patient of the program.

The biggest challenge in treating BPD in infants is that no two patients are alike. Effective treatment requires an individualized approach. The Newborn and infant Chronic Lung Disease Program’s interdisciplinary team meets weekly to discuss each child’s condition and collaborates to create a tailored treatment that meets each child’s individual needs. Babies are cared for in CHOP’s Harriet and Ronald Lassin Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit, one of the biggest and best neonatal intensive care units in the world. The unit provides rigorous training to parents to set families up for success when they take their child home.

The journey for babies with chronic lung disease can be long and complex. It can involve a long stay in the intensive care unit, long-term ventilation support, tracheostomy surgery, and prolonged pulmonary hypertension treatment. Babies with severe BPD often have neurodevelopmental issues, associated complications including abnormalities with their airway, and higher rates of death compared to children who don’t have severe BPD. In addition to medical care, they often require long-term occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy.

A comprehensive program like this is vital to the long-term survival of these most vulnerable patients. Most graduates from the Newborn and Infant Chronic Lung Disease Program are able to achieve long-term stability with continued improvement in cardiopulmonary function over time.

Видео Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Care for Chronic Lung Disease in Infants канала The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia