Nitric oxide in preterm infant with pulmonary hypoplasia.

Premature infants with hypoplastic lungs may have elevated pulmonary vascular resistance with right to left shunt across ductus arteriosus and/or foramen ovale. Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) being selective pulmonary vasodilator without significant effects on systemic circulation can potentially reverse this shunt. The authors herewith report a case of a premature infant with severe hypoxemic respiratory failure after preterm premature prolonged rupture of membranes leading to oligohydramnios and pulmonary hypoplasia that was treated successfully with NO and describe the neurodevelopmental outcome at 1 year of age.