Funded by the Medical Research Agency, the study is currently recruiting patients for a clinical trial named Salbutamol Evaluation in the Frequency of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of Newborns.
Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn (TTN), a common respiratory failure in the youngest patients, often affects children born prematurely or through cesarean delivery. For instance, it is found in about 10 percent of babies born at between 33 and 34 weeks of gestation.
In some cases, TTN can lead to chronic pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN), posing a significant risk to their health.
Lead researcher Prof. Renata Bokiniec from the Duchess Anna Mazowiecka Clinical Hospital in Warsaw highlighted the potential impact of the study.
"We aim to examine how often chronic pulmonary hypertension occurs in newborns with TTN and to assess the effects of using salbutamol," she said.
Salbutamol, a beta-mimetic commonly used in treating asthma, will be tested for its effectiveness and safety in preventing PPHN when administered via nebulization.
"If the study confirms our hypotheses, we could significantly prevent dangerous complications, reduce the incidence of life-threatening chronic pulmonary hypertension in newborns, thereby shortening their treatment time, stay in incubators, and separation from their mothers," Bokiniec added.
The initiative, led by the Medical University of Warsaw, involves collaboration with eight specialized centers across Poland — in Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań, Zielona Góra, Bydgoszcz, Rzeszów, Bytom and Szczecin — and experts from Canada, Polish state news agency PAP has reported.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP
