Does any one have any experience with pneumomediastinum? The NICU told me today that my baby boy of 31 5/7 weeks has it. He was born on the 20th with some breathing issues but the X-Rays didn't show anything until today...They were hoping to give him surfactant but now they can't :/. I was hoping if someone give me a little more of information and share their experience with it (if any)... Me and my wifle are so worried. Thank you!
@sakura656 They didn't mention a pnehmothorax. They just told me he had a pneumomediastinum but they didn't tell me why :/. Your baby is fine now?
@kp12 There should be a reason for air in the mediastinum which is what a pneumomediastinum is. Our boy had a very large pneumothorax (collapsed lung) which led to air getting into his mediastinum. He is absolutely fine now, 9 months old and chunky as can be but it was the scariest days of my life. He required a chest tube to drain the air out of his lung which helped get rid of the pneumomediastinum. I’d ask your team where the air came from
amberjeanettegardner
New member
@sakura656 It's totally possible to have a pneumomediastinum without a pneumothorax. It just means that some of the air from his lungs leaked into the middle space between the lungs as opposed to the pleural space (where the lungs sit). Usually doesn't cause much of an issue but we don't give surfactant to these kiddos because surfactant increases the risk of air leaking out.
@amberjeanettegardner Good to know! I’m internal medicine physician and in adults we typically see these from esophageal perfs. Kids are the unknown to me 
amberjeanettegardner
New member
@sakura656 Oh cool! Yeah when I worked at a delivery hospital we would see them pretty often in kiddos who just got some cpap at delivery 
baby lungs are silly but resilient so usually we just waited it out.
baby lungs are silly but resilient so usually we just waited it out.