Newborn Breathing Conditions Research

Ground-breaking research funded by the NHLBI has helped establish the standards of care for newborns with breathing and lung problems. Our research helped develop the use of corticosteroids to accelerate lung development in babies at risk for premature birth. We also funded studies developing the use of surfactant replacement therapy to improve breathing in premature newborns and the use of nitric oxide to treat pulmonary hypertension. These treatment methods continue to significantly improve the survival and long-term quality of life for premature newborns. Read about the study on the use of corticosteroids.

Our Division of Lung Diseases and its Lung Biology and Disease Branch fund research on breathing conditions in newborns.

Current research on preventing and treating bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)

• An NHLBI-funded study on sildenafil (Viagra) is investigating a safe starting dose for babies who develop pulmonary hypertension as part of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a lung disease of prematurity. The medicine is often used off-label by doctors in babies to treat pulmonary hypertension and this study will help to provide clinical data on an age-appropriate dosing strategy.
• NHLBI funds a study about the effect of positive pressure ventilation to enhance lung growth in premature babies using animal models.
• NHLBI-funded researchers are investigating the use of inhaled vitamin A in animal models to prevent BPD by reducing lung damage. Vitamin A may improve lung development in newborns.
• With support from the NHLBI, researchers are investigating the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and mathematical resolution of X-ray images to better understand lung problems that occur in newborns with BPD. Many imaging methods require sedation and can expose infants to radiation. New, cutting-edge MRI methods do not require either, and could provide images of the structure and function of the lungs that may help doctors diagnose and treat infants with BPD.
• NHLBI-funded researchers are using ultra-short MRI techniques to image the lung and chest bones, including the rib cage, and correlate findings to lung volumes and capacities in the growing child.
• With support from NHLBI, researchers are studying toddlers who were born premature and whose mothers received steroids in late pregnancy to assist with the child’s lung function and cognitive development. Similarly, premature babies who received steroids soon after birth are being studied for lung function and intellectual ability at school age.

Find more NHLBI-funded studies on bronchopulmonary dysplasia at NIH RePORTER. 

Current research on preventing and treating breathing problems related to premature birth

• NHLBI-funded research is testing the use of therapeutic in utero gene editing called CRISPR-Cas9 to treat genetic disorders before birth that can lead to breathing issues in newborns. Babies who are born premature have less developed lungs and a deficiency of the cells that produce surfactant, which helps keep the lungs stable after birth and prevents them from collapsing. Without enough surfactant, infants struggle to breathe, a condition called respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) of the newborn.
• Other NHLBI-funded researchers are developing synthetic lung surfactant that would be lower in cost and more accessible to newborns with RDS across the globe.
• NHLBI-funded researchers are developing a low-cost electrode that can generate nitric oxide, a portable option for a potent pulmonary hypertension treatment that can be used worldwide.
• A study on lung imaging software may help better predict which newborns with breathing conditions are at risk for developing serious complications like BPD or lower respiratory tract infections. Researchers are using technology called Lung Aeration and Irregular opacities Radiological analyzer (LungAIR) and electronic health record data to reduce hospitalization time and lower rates of serious complications and death in newborns with breathing conditions.

Find more NHLBI-funded studies on breathing problems related to premature birth at NIH RePORTER. 

Current research on the long-term effects of newborn breathing conditions

• NHLBI-supported research aims to better understand why some babies with breathing conditions develop additional health problems throughout their childhood, such as asthma, breathing abnormalities during sleep, and problems during development.
•  NHLBI-funded researchers are examining why some infants who need continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment develop medical problems like asthma and wheezing later in life. Researchers hope that this discovery will reveal promising targets to prevent unintended effects of CPAP treatment in newborns with breathing conditions.

Find more NHLBI-funded studies on understanding the long-term effects of newborn breathing conditions at NIH RePORTER. 

• The NHLBI supports the Centers for Advanced Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics in Lung Diseases (CADET) program. This program stimulated the development of new treatments for lung and breathing conditions, as well as sleep disorders. The first stage, CADET I, supported research on how lung diseases develop. The second stage, CADET II, funded research on new drugs.
• The Molecular Atlas of Lung Development Program (LungMAP) is integrating many datasets to build a molecular map of the developing lung in both humans and mice. The program is helping advance lung research in part through its web-based data resource called BREATH, that allows users to access LungMAP data and findings. Learn more about LungMAP: NHLBI project breathes life into first in-depth atlas of the human lung. 
• The Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center (BioLINCC) centralizes and integrates biospecimens and clinical data that were once stored in separate repositories. Researchers can find and request available resources on BioLINCC’s secure website, which maximizes the value of these resources and advances research in newborn breathing and lung conditions, among many others.