Category:
Drugs Online
Region:
USA
State:
Indiana
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LITTLE BLUE PILL SAVING BABIES' LIVES
Date: 26-Jul-2008
Author: Melissa Greathouse
Some babies in Florida are on the little blue pill. Doctors are prescribing Viagra to sick infants suffering from lung problems. They say the drug is helping to save lives.
Little Noah Nero is only 10 months old, and his mom gives him Viagra everyday. "It's still kind of a joke what a stud Noah is because he's on Viagra," said Noah's mom Cherish.
The "little blue pill" or Viagra is a popular treatment for erectile dysfunction.
Cherish Nero says that was a concern when doctors at All Children's Hospital prescribed it for Noah. "The first thought in my mind was what else is it going to do for him besides (chuckles).. Work as a pulmonary dilator," she said.
"Infants and young children don't get the same effect as old men do with their Viagra therapy," said Dr. Gul Dadlani, Pediatric Cardiologist at All Hospital.
Dadlani says Viagra is a wonder drug for babies who were born with pulmonary hypertension. "As the blood flow goes to the lung, the arteries in the lung become constricted or tightened," he said. "With Viagra therapy it relaxes those vessels and allows more blood flow to go to the lungs and improves the symptoms for the patient."
Obviously babies can't pop a little blue pill. So pharmacists have to crush it and give it to them in liquid form.
Doctor Dadlani says because of the success they've had with Viagra more and more babies are prescribed the medication.
Sophie Sanders has been on the drug for two years. "I would say that Viagra did save her life at one point," said Sophie's mom Tanya. "Right now we are weaning off of it."
Cherish Nero credits Viagra for doing the same for Noah. "It definitely has saved his life," she said. "It's what got us off of the ventilator and out of the hospital."
So from the bedroom to the nursery, Viagra's proving to find a whole new set of patients.
Viagra does carry some risk for babies. Doctors say if the levels are too high it can drop blood pressure. Also, there are no studies completed on the long-term effects.
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