Q. I’ve read that doctors sometimes give newborn babies the same active ingredient that’s in Viagra. Obvious the treatment of erection problems, so what medical purpose does the drug serve in newborns?
A. It’s true that some newborns, most premature babies, are given small amounts of sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. This is done to improve the respiratory function of infants whose lungs may not be fully developed at birth.
Sildenafil is also marketed at lower doses as a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension, a form of high blood pressure that targets the lungs and puts a strain on both the lungs and heart. By dilating the blood vessels in and around the lungs, the blood pressure is lowered and breathing is improved.
And lowering the blood pressure in the lungs reduces the heavy burden on the heart. As the child grows and the lungs, as well as the arteries that supply them, become more fully developed, the need for this extra help from sildenafil is reduced. But it has proven to be a lifesaver for premature babies born with pulmonary hypertension.