We have all been hypoxic. Fetal tolerance for intrauterine hypoxia arises from evolutionarily conserved physiological mechanisms, the antecedents of which can be learned from diving mammals or species at high altitudes. Understanding fetal hypoxia leads to understanding the huge physiological shifts of neonatal transition and the dangers of perinatal hypoxia.

This comprehensive volume of topical review articles by expert authors addresses the origins of hypoxia tolerance, the impact of oxygen on circulatory transition at birth, and the biochemistry of hypoxia in the pulmonary circuit, as well as the classification, diagnosis, and clinical management of hypoxic respiratory failure and persistent pulmonary hypertension in the term neonate.

The goal of Hypoxic Respiratory Failure in the Newborn is to connect our understanding of hypoxia from animals in extreme environments, with how the human fetus handles its hypoxic environment; and why the human newborn suddenly cannot. The book will educate health care professionals on how to care for newborns with hypoxic respiratory failure, including the use of up-to-date diagnostic tools and therapies. It also highlights areas of controversy and ongoing research in hypoxic respiratory failure and pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, including challenging case studies.

Key Features

• Explores evolutionary context and comparative physiology of hypoxia tolerance in the fetus and neonate, from basic research to clinical scenarios
• Provides guidance to trainees, physicians, and allied health professionals engaged in NICU care; pediatricians, cardiologists, pulmonologists, anesthesiologists, neonatologists, and physiologists to effectively manage infants in hypoxic respiratory failure
• Includes case scenarios emphasizing current diagnostic and therapeutic controversies and algorithmic approaches to decipher difficult clinical cases