Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn

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KEY POINTS

• TTN is a medical term for a newborn baby who breathes very fast because there is too much fluid in the baby’s lungs. Babies who have TTN usually recover completely within 24 hours after birth, but it can take up to 72 hours.
• The treatment is to help your baby breathe until your baby outgrows the problem. Your baby will be monitored and will receive oxygen.
• Follow the full course of treatment prescribed by your baby’s healthcare provider. Ask your provider how to take care of your baby at home.

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What is transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN)?

TTN is a medical term for a newborn baby who breathes very fast because there is too much fluid in the baby’s lungs.

Babies who have TTN usually recover completely within 24 hours after birth, but it can take up to 72 hours. There are no long-lasting side effects.

What is the cause?

Before birth, a baby's lungs make fluid that helps the lungs grow. Chemicals released during labor tell the lungs to stop making the fluid and prepare the lungs for the first breath. The baby's lungs absorb the lung fluid. After birth, the baby takes a first breath and the lungs fill with air, replacing any fluid that is left. The fluid is usually cleared out of the lungs over several hours.

Some babies have extra fluid or absorb the fluid too slowly. The fluid makes it hard for the air sacs in the lungs to stay open and fill with air, causing the baby to breathe faster and harder than normal. Babies born by C-section, or babies born after a fast labor are more likely to have TTN. It is also more common in babies born to mothers with diabetes.

What are the symptoms?

If your baby has extra fluid in the lungs shortly after birth, symptoms may include:

• Breathing fast (more than 60 times a minute)
• Pulling in the chest wall with each breath
• Flaring the nostrils when breathing in
• Having a bluish color around the lips because your baby needs more oxygen

How is it diagnosed?

TTN is usually diagnosed based on how your baby looks and sounds. Your baby may also have a chest X-ray or blood tests. Other lab tests may be done to make sure that the breathing problems are not caused by something other than TTN.

How is it treated?

The treatment is to help your baby breathe until your baby outgrows the problem.

Monitoring

Your baby will be attached to a monitor that constantly measures heart rate and breathing rate. Your baby will be given oxygen.

Feeding

Your baby may need IV fluids and nutrition if the breathing is very fast or your baby is working hard to breathe and doesn’t feed well.

How can I take care of my baby?

Follow the full course of treatment prescribed by your baby’s healthcare provider. Ask your provider:

• How to take care of your baby at home
• What symptoms or problems you should watch for and what to do if your baby has them

Make sure you know when your baby should come back for a checkup. Keep all appointments for provider visits or tests.