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Pulmonary hypertension is the elevation of blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. It can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, and a rapid heartbeat.

Pulmonary hypertension symptoms can be lessened and a child’s heart and lung functions can improve through advanced treatments and multidisciplinary care that includes specialists from cardiology, surgery, pulmonary, genetics, and intensive care.

At the Boston Children’s Pulmonary Hypertension Program, our team of multidisciplinary pediatric specialists knows that effective care of pulmonary hypertension starts with an accurate diagnosis. Pulmonary hypertension varies greatly from child to child: It can range from less serious to severe, and because its symptoms overlap with those of other conditions, it may be difficult to diagnose. Our depth of experience as well as our increasing knowledge of the role that related heart and lung diagnoses and genetics play in shaping a patient’s condition help us determine the underlying cause of a child’s pulmonary hypertension — allowing us to devise the best possible personalized care plan.

Treatment may include medications to make it easier for your child’s heart to pump blood or anticoagulants to prevent blood clots. For advanced cases of pulmonary hypertension, several types of catheterization procedures, medicines, or other interventions can improve blood flow throughout the body and help the heart and lungs heal. Lung transplantation or lung/heart transplantation can be an option for children who do not respond to other pulmonary hypertension treatment.

How we treat pulmonary hypertension in children

As one of the leading and largest programs of its kind in the U.S., we bring together a diverse, skilled, and experienced group of Boston Children’s clinicians to provide a comprehensive diagnosis and individualized treatment. You and your child will benefit from the expertise of:

Whether your child needs only close monitoring and follow-up care, or more extensive treatment with medications and therapies, our team will work with your family to provide the most appropriate coordinated care.

Collaborating at Boston Children’s to specialize pulmonary hypertension treatment

We are part of several clinical collaborations with other Boston Children’s disciplines that further open the door to specialized treatment of pulmonary hypertension:

Advancing the field through research and collaboration

While we have made tremendous strides in understanding the causes and complexities of pulmonary hypertension, there’s still much more to learn. Our program continues to lead and participate in clinical trials and studies that explore the triggers of pulmonary hypertension, aim to diminish its symptoms, and strive toward developing a cure. This work includes collaborating with global organizations that contribute to new insights on pulmonary hypertension diagnosis and treatment. Collaborations include the shaping of clinical guidelines, developing a registry that characterizes the types and causes of pulmonary hypertension, and contributing to several multi-center registries. See how our research and collaborations are benefitting children around the world.

Always striving to improve a child’s quality of life

Having a child diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension is understandably difficult, but your family will have the full support of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program. By bringing together clinicians from a wide range of related disciplines and drawing on the vast resources of Boston Children’s, we’re well-positioned to improve the quality of life of every child we treat.