[h3]About TTN[/h3]
Before birth, a fetus' lungs are filled with fluid. While inside the mother, a fetus does not use the lungs to breathe — all oxygen comes from the blood vessels of the placenta.
As the due date nears, the baby's lungs begin to clear the fluid in response to hormonal changes. Some fluid may also be squeezed out during the birth, as a baby passes through the birth canal. After the birth, as a newborn takes those first breaths, the lungs fill with air and more fluid is pushed out of the lungs. Any remaining fluid is then coughed out or gradually absorbed into the body through the bloodstream and lymphatic system.
In infants with TTN, however, extra fluid in the lungs remains or the fluid is cleared too slowly. So it is more difficult for the baby to inhale oxygen properly, and the baby breathes faster and harder to get enough oxygen into the lungs.
[h3]Causes of TTN[/h3]
TTN, also called "wet lungs" or type II respiratory distress syndrome, usually can be diagnosed in the hours after birth. It's not possible to detect before the birth whether a child will have it.
TTN can occur in both preemies (because their lungs are not yet fully developed) and full-term babies.
Newborns at higher risk for TTN include those who are:
- delivered by cesarean section (C-section)
- born to mothers with diabetes
- born to mothers with asthma
- small for gestational age (small at birth)
During vaginal births, especially with full-term babies, the pressure of passing through the birth canal squeezes some of the fluid out of the lungs. Hormonal changes during labor may also lead to absorption of some of the fluid
For the new dads like myself this scared the %*# outta me now he is back to breathing normal it really crazy seeing the breathing monitor at 120bpm when normal is 20.