Pulmonary hypertension program

If your child has congenital heart disease, they might develop pulmonary hypertension – a complex and difficult disease to diagnose. Some children develop pulmonary hypertension as a result of prematurity while others may develop the disease as older children. Our experienced team is here to help your child find relief by customizing a treatment plan that best meets their child’s needs.

What is pulmonary hypertension?

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is persistently high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs. It can be caused by congenital heart disease, lung disease, or other disease processes in a newborn or child. Other forms of pulmonary hypertension may be caused by heart failure. It can also have an unknown cause, called idiopathic.

Some symptoms of pulmonary hypertension may include:

• Shortness of breath
• Fainting
• Dizziness
• Excessive tiredness
• Fast heartbeats, a type of arrhythmia
• Chest pain or pressure
• Blue tint to the lips, hands and feet
• Swollen ankles
• Poor feeding in infants

Why choose the pulmonary hypertension program?

Our pediatric pulmonary hypertension team uses a multidisciplinary approach to diagnose and manage pediatric pulmonary hypertension.

Advocate Children’s Hospital has a core group of pulmonary hypertension specialists comprised of:

• Pediatric cardiac interventionalists
• Critical care specialists
• Cardiologists
• Pulmonologists
• Cardiac surgeons
• Nurse practitioners
• Nurses
• Dieticians
• Physical therapists
• Occupational therapists
• Speech therapists
• Pharmacists
• Child Life specialists
• Genetic counselors

Cardiac anesthesiologists are also available to provide anesthesia for necessary procedures.

Your child and family are the most important part of this team. We’ll work with you to create a unique care plan to include the physical, emotional and intellectual needs of your child.

What to expect from our pulmonary hypertension program

Our dedicated team of experts will evaluate the cause and severity of your child’s pulmonary hypertension to tailor the best treatment plan. These options can include oral, intravenous or inhaled medications.

Evaluation of your child’s pulmonary hypertension can include:

Pediatric pulmonary hypertension treatment

We offer many treatments that can help ease your child’s breathing and support the heart’s ability to pump including:

• Oxygen therapy: To help your child breathe, we often give them extra oxygen, which they can use at home. This treatment places small tubes near your child’s nose that provide oxygen-rich air.
• Medications: Managing pulmonary hypertension with medication can make your child feel significantly better. We may prescribe one or more medicines to help, including:
  • Anticoagulant to help thin the blood and make it easier for the heart to pump
  • Diuretics to reduce the amount of extra fluid in the body and improve the heart’s ability to beat
  • Blood pressure medication to lower the pressure in the lungs and help the heart beat easier
• Surgery: Generally, oxygen therapy and medications can help your child live an active, healthy life. However, surgery occasionally provides the best option:
  • Congenital defect repair: For children born with structural defects, heart surgery can correct the problem and relieve pulmonary hypertension.
  • Heart and/or lung transplant: In rare, very serious cases, the heart or lungs become too damaged to regain normal function and require a transplant. Children who need this treatment receive customized care, designed to keep them protected and supported throughout their surgery and recovery.

Meet our pulmonary hypertension team.