Possible Estrogen Treatment for Premature Infants

A recent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and conducted by researchers at the UT Southwestern Medical Center has found that estrogen may be helpful in improving lung function in premature infants. Headed by Dr. Philip Shaul, the team of researchers used preterm primates in their study, which took place at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research Primate Center in San Antonio, Texas. The goal of the study was to explore causes and treatments for BPD, or bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which occurs most often in premature infants with underdeveloped lungs as a result of inflammation. BPD is sometimes referred to as chronic lung disease and develops in an infant’s lungs after ventilation and oxygen support. In order for an infants lungs to grow and function correctly before and after birth, they require a certain amount of nitric oxide, a gas that performs many functions in the body. Toward the end of a woman’s pregnancy and during labor, ample amounts of estrogen are produced by the placenta, exposing the fetus to the hormone. These large amounts of estrogen have been found to stimulate the genes in an infants lung cells, prompting the production of this necessary nitric oxide. This finding made researchers hopeful that this same result would occur if estrogen therapy was provided to premature infants to increase the production of nitric oxide, which would further lung development. Since these babies are born prematurely, they are not exposed to those high levels of estrogen at the final stages of pregnancy, making it more likely that they will experience respiratory problems.

After providing estrogen treatment to the preterm primates involved in the study, researchers observed an improvement in lung function as a result of an increase in production of nitric oxide. This lung development cut down on the amount of time ventilation was needed and also prevented low blood pressure, which is prevalent among premature infants. Researchers saw this and other benefits from just one estrogen treatment in the preterm primates, including an improvement in circulation. Lead author Dr. Philip Shaul and his colleagues plan to conduct additional studies using estrogen therapies and hope to begin clinical trials soon. When a baby is born more than three weeks before the due date, the birth is considered to be premature. A preterm infant has an increased risk of many health problems, since there is less time for the fetus to develop in the mother’s womb. If your infant was born prematurely and was injured or killed as a result of negligence or malpractice on the part of a doctor or hospital, contact the attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. to discuss your potential case. Our experienced attorneys serve clients with Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Queens birth injury, Manhattan birth injury, Nassau birth injury and Suffolk birth injury attorneys. Call today for a free consultation.

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