Families and the Public

The Use of CPAP for Premature Babies or Babies with RDS

The Use of CPAP for Premature Babies or Babies with RDS

Giving birth is the most wonderful and yet incredibly complex process. A baby has to undergo multiple adjustments from the moment it leaves mommy’s womb. In some, a baby’s transition outside can be extremely challenging. Preterm birth, difficult delivery or even a mixture of both may threaten newborn life and the core reason mainly stands for breathing problems. Luckily, state-of-the-art medicine technologies allow premature babies to get the required medical care with specific breathing support systems based in NICUs. What Infants Strive for Special Care? Actually, there are many factors doctors rely on in moving babies to NICU. However, each clinical case is unique and needs a detailed assessment before an ultimate decision. So the below points are vital to check on:
  • Alterations in a newborn’s organ systems as a result of oxygen lack.
  • The infant’s neck is wrapped with the umbilical cord.
  • Giving birth precedes gestational age (less than 37 weeks)
  • Extremely small weight (lower than 5 pounds)
  • RDS or stopping breathing
  • Various infections like herpes, chlamydia and group B streptococcus
  • Hypoglycemia or seizures
  • Resuscitation in the delivery room or congenital disabilities
  • Special procedures necessity as blood transfusion

Types of Respiratory Maintenance for Pre-Born Babies

Considering the assistance level a baby needs, NICU doctors provide the following options: Nasal Cannula Being the least invasive form of breathing support, the nasal cannula is for newborns who can breathe independently but require extra airflow to maintain their lungs and oxygen level in the blood. It operates in the way of delivering oxygen right into the baby’s nostrils through a thin plastic pipe. CPAP Although doctors use this respiratory system for infants who can also breathe on their own,  it is still more advanced than the previous one. CPAP enables constant airflow into newborn lungs via masks or nasal prongs yet ensures higher air pressure than a simple nasal cannula. The key goal of CPAP Newborn maintenance is to help preterm lungs get properly open. Mechanical Ventilation It is a respiratory support mechanism designed for babies whose lungs are too weak to breathe independently. The ventilator corresponds to a specific tube that supplies oxygen and air mixture into the infant’s windpipe and then pumps back, thus reproducing natural breathing way.

When to Use CPAP for Preterm Newborns 

Pre-term babies often face breathing difficulties since their lungs don’t have enough time to mature in the womb. As a result, different health issues arise. The most widespread are: RDS RDS comes about when the baby’s delivery happens before the lungs entirely develop. Such infants lack surfactant, preventing lungs from getting expanded and contracted appropriately. That way, independent breathing turns problematic, and CPAP may solve this. Apnea This condition is highly dangerous as long breathing pauses may cause extremely slow heart rate. It happens mainly due to developmental delay in the brain part responsible for respiration control. CPAP may eliminate apnea issues by making breathing well adjusted. Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia This disorder frequently occurs in low-weight preterm babies born more than 8-10 weeks before they due date. BPD often complicate RDS if not treated properly, so CPAP is required to promote the infant’s lungs to develop normally and avoid their permanent irritation.

Bubble CPAP Components

Like standard CPAP machines, bubble CPAP creates needed pressure on the newborn respiratory system via nasal mask or tips. bCPAP consists of such essential elements: Gas Source An appropriate concentration of breathed-in oxygen enters the neonatal lungs through a specific blender joined to the source of oxygen and compressed air. Besides, the circulation of the given humidified substance transmits by corrugated tubes. Pressure Generator You create pressure in the circuit by immersing the distal end of the expiratory corrugated tubes under water in case of Bubble CPAP. The pressure level directly depends on the length of the immersed pipe underwater surface. Patient Interface It implies the nasal connection between the respiratory circuit and the baby’s airway owing to the attachment of the nasal interface end to specialized prongs. These nasal prongs provide low-resistant to airflow. Therefore, it is critical to apply the nasal interface correctly with no air leakages. If this point is neglected, it may result in various nasal traumas. Humidifier Bubble CPAP necessarily includes this item since it encourages indispensable respiratory hydration. By adjusting the delivered energy to the wire, the humidifier upkeeps the optimal humidity level and decreases condensate in the exhalation limb. The humidification chamber contains water flowing there via a pipe from the flexible water bag. The Hottest bCPAP devices list When it comes to choosing the proper CPAP device, it is worth carefully exploring all its advantages and drawbacks. Since it influences the priceless thing, a baby’s life, you must ponder everything meticulously before making a decision. Regarding feedback from doctors and parents, we have singled out the below-mentioned choices:

Conclusion

No doubt, it tears parents’ hearts seeing how their tiny newborn hooked up to various tubes, nasal probes and masks. Still, CPAP NICU, especially bCPAP is a crucial device to develop a baby’s lungs and learn to breathe independently. So don’t waste a minute. Select the best-fitting CPAP Newborn and gift your baby with a ‘second’ life.

Start exploring our learning modules in bCPAP.

The Bubble CPAP Institute is an interactive educational platform aiming to make the knowledge and skill set of Bubble CPAP accessible to practitioners who care for neonates and young infants across the globe. This platform will primarily focus on the know-how and will offer educational modules on issues like when to consider bCPAP in managing infants with respiratory distress, how to assemble the bCPAP circuits, how to apply the nasal interface and how to troubleshoot bedside issues.

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