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PPHN, or persistent pulmonary hypertension in the newborn, is a potentially fatal condition where the newborn''s arteries to the lungs are constricted and adequate oxygen is not able to reach the bloodstream. Although this condition is extremely rare, ten to twenty percent of all cases result in death, despite treatment efforts. The causes of PPHN have not been well studied, though fatal distress and maternal use of certain drugs are known risk factors.

Researchers at the Slone Epidemiology Center noted during their comprehensive Birth Defects Study, that babies born to women who used the antidepressant Prozac late in pregnancy were more likely to develop temporary complications—such as jitteriness, low blood pressure, and respiratory complications—than women who stopped taking Prozac after the first trimester. The researchers then set out to test the following hypothesis:

Maternal use of Prozac during the third trimester of pregnancy increases the risk that a child will be born with PPNH.

After collecting data from hundreds of mothers and children across the United States, the researchers found that third trimester maternal use of Prozac more than doubled the risk that a child would be born with PPHN. Due to this serious risk of potentially fatal complications, it is important for women who have used Prozac during pregnancy to be aware of the symptoms of PPHN.

What are the symptoms of PPHN?

The symptoms of PPHN often appear shortly after birth and include:

• Rapid heart rate
• Rapid and difficulty breathing
• Signs of respiratory distress (which may include nostril flaring and grunting)
• Bluish skin tone (cyanosis), which is a sign of oxygen deprivation. This symptom of PPHN may be present even when the child is receiving additional oxygen to breathe.

A baby with PPHN may continue to have low blood-oxygen levels even when receiving 100 percent oxygen.

If your child develops signs and symptoms of PPHN, it is important to seek immediate medical care. Typically, signs of PPHN develop so soon after birth that the mother and child are often still under medical care. In some cases, however, the symptoms of PPHN may not develop until the first day or two of life. Once the symptoms of PPHN develop, it is imperative that medical treatment be established immediately.

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