According to Kenyatta National Hospital and other like-minded people, Sildenafil (Viagra) was the right course of treatment.
“Some babies develop persistent pulmonary hypertension of the neonate (PPHN), a condition where the pressure in the blood vessel that allows blood to flow to the lungs remains abnormally high. This also occurs in babies who have aspirated meconium.
“Persistent high pressure in these vessels leads to less blood flow to the lungs and, therefore, less oxygen reaching the blood and all organs of the body.
“Sildenafil may cause these vessels to relax and allow for improved blood flow and improved oxygen delivery to all organs,” read the KNH statement.
I'm not a medic but then there's always Dr. Google who I've consulted to access various researches regarding this matter and I am neither convinced nor persuaded that this would have been the best possible treatment.
According to http://www.nichd.nih.gov/cochrane/shah10/shah10.htm , Sildenafil may cause these vessels to relax and allow for improved blood flow and improved oxygen delivery to all organs. However, this therapy is not adequately studied in infants and more research is needed.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/lungs/meconium.html# ............ putting in an endotracheal tube (a plastic tube that's placed into the baby's windpipe through the mouth or nose) and applying suction as the tube is slowly removed. This allows the infant to receive suctioning of both the upper and lower airways. The doctor will continue trying to clear the airway until there's no meconium in the suctioned fluids.
When I underwent the emergency C-Section, the hospital was fully prepared to deal with any eventualities given that the baby was post-term. I believe, having experienced it first hand, that when a hospital is dealing with an "unusual" case it should be prepared and not be caught unawares which I think is the case here.
I will continue researching and inquiring about this issue from all medics I know.
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