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Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is a special breathing treatment that your baby may receive in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) if he or she is in respiratory distress due to a condition like pulmonary hypertension or a congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
When your baby receives the treatment, he or she will inhale nitric oxide, a type of gas that can relax and expand the blood vessels in the lungs. When the blood vessels are better able to expand, it can improve your baby’s ability to get oxygen to the brain and other important tissues.
As a breathing treatment, iNO may be used with other therapies such as traditional intubation and mechanical ventilation which do not use nitric oxide gas. If a baby does not show improvement after starting iNO treatment, the next level of treatment may include extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
What to Expect
What to Expect
You can expect the following during an inhaled nitric oxide treatment at Riley at IU Health:
- Prior to starting any treatments, your baby will receive medicines to reduce any discomfort.
- Your baby will be connected to a ventilator—a special machine that moves air into and out of the lungs.
- Using a process called intubation, the doctor will gently insert a small tube through your baby’s mouth and into the windpipe so that air from the ventilator can reach the lungs.
- The ventilator is connected to a tank of nitric oxide gas. The gas will flow into the lungs and relax the blood vessels.
Treatment with inhaled nitric oxide usually lasts up to two weeks. Specialized technicians and physicians will monitor your baby’s condition and vital signs around the clock throughout treatment to make sure that the iNO is working and that there are no complications.
All babies who receive iNO treatment will have full follow-up care once it is safe for them to leave the NICU. Since low oxygen at birth can be a risk factor for neurodevelopmental delays, you and your baby will follow up with a multidisciplinary care team that includes a neurodevelopmental specialist.
Key Points to Remember
Key Points to Remember
- iNO is a treatment for respiratory distress in newborns that is offered in the NICU.
- Nitric oxide is a gas that, when inhaled, can relax the blood vessels in the lungs and help your baby breathe.
- Your baby will be closely monitored throughout iNO treatment.
- If iNO does not work, more treatments are available.
- You and your baby will follow up with a multidisciplinary care team after treatment.