Nitric Oxide May Help Babies With Lung Problems Breathe More Easily
From Times staff and wire reports
Nitric oxide, an ingredient in smog that is also used by the body to control blood pressure, kill tumor cells and boost erections, may help newborn babies with lung problems breathe more easily.
Two studies in the Feb. 27 New England Journal of Medicine show that newborn babies with breathing difficulties did not need drastic treatment if they inhaled small amounts of the gas. The breathing problems studied were caused by high blood pressure in the arteries that feed blood to the lungs, the inhalation of contaminated amniotic fluid, or a malformation of the diaphragm.
The treatment does not, however, reduce the risk of death. The studies were performed at Yale University and Massachusetts General Hospital.
