How to treat transient tachypnea of the newborn

Treatment for transient tachypnea of the newborn, which can occur up to 2 hours after birth with symptoms such as rapid breathing and bluish skin, is usually done with oxygen booster only to help the baby to breathe better, once the problem resolves alone. This is why the baby may need to wear an oxygen mask for 2 days or until oxygen levels are normalized.

In addition, when transient tachypnea causes too rapid breathing with more than 80 breaths per minute, the baby should not be fed through the mouth, as there is a great risk that the milk will be sucked into the lungs, causing pneumonia. In these cases, the baby may have to use a nasogastric tube, which is a small tube that runs from the nose to the stomach and is normally only used by the nurse to feed the baby.

The improvement in the symptoms of transient tachypnea of the newborn can appear between 12 to 24 hours after starting treatment, but in some cases, it may be necessary to maintain the oxygen up to 2 days. After treatment, the newborn does not have any type of sequelae, nor is it more likely to develop respiratory problems such as asthma or bronchitis.

Baby with oxygen mask

Respiratory physiotherapy exercise

Physiotherapy for transient tachypnea of the newborn

Respiratory physiotherapy can be used during treatment to, along with oxygen, facilitate the baby's breathing process, and is usually done by a physiotherapist who uses some types of postures and exercises that help decrease the efforts of the respiratory muscles and to facilitate the opening of the airways.

Which babies are at increased risk of having transient tachypnea

The transient tachypnea of the newborn arises when the baby's lungs can not eliminate all the amniotic fluid after birth and therefore there is a greater risk of developing the problem in cases of:

Newborn less than 38 weeks gestation;
Low birth weight newborn;
Mother with a history of diabetes;
Cesarean delivery;
Delay in cutting the umbilical cord.

Thus, one way to prevent the development of transient tachypnea of the newborn is to inject corticoids directly into the mother's vein 2 days before cesarean delivery, especially when it occurs between 37 and 39 weeks of pregnancy.

In addition, maintaining a healthy pregnancy with a balanced diet, regular exercise and decreased use of substances such as alcohol and coffee, helps reduce the number of risk factors.

Symptoms of transient tachypnea in the newborn

The main symptoms of transient tachypnea in the newborn include:

Rapid breathing with more than 60 breaths per minute;
Difficulty breathing, making sounds (groaning);
Exaggerated opening of nostrils;
Bluish skin, especially in the nostrils, lips and hands.

When your baby has these symptoms, it is recommended to have diagnostic tests, such as chest X-rays and blood tests, to confirm the diagnosis and start treatment.