Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension

While rare, pediatric pulmonary hypertension can be serious. This high blood pressure in your child’s heart and lungs weighs on you, too. Don’t carry this burden alone.

At UVA Health Children's, we have the largest pediatric pulmonary hypertension clinic in Virginia. You can trust your child’s care to a dedicated team.

Treating Pulmonary Hypertension in Children

We treat primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension. 

Our team can offer a range of treatments. We can:

• Address the cause of high blood pressure in the lungs
• Lower blood pressure
• Prevent blood clots
• Expand blood vessels in the lungs

Specialized treatments include:

• Nitrous oxide
• Oxygen therapy
• Lung transplant, in severe cases

Does Your Child Have Pulmonary Hypertension?

Many conditions cause pediatric pulmonary hypertension. They include:

• Birth defects of the heart, like septal defects or leaky heart valves
• Chest wall deformity
• Conditions like scleroderma, sickle cell disease, lupus, or HIV
• Heart or lung disease
• Blood clots in the lungs
• Genetics

Look for:

• Increased shortness of breath
• Blue coloring of skin around mouth, hands, or feet
• Chest pain or pressure
• Fast heart rate
• Chronic cough
• Fatigue
• Fainting, lightheadedness
• Ankle or leg swelling

Diagnosing Heart & Lung Problems in Children

These tests check your child’s heart and lungs:

• Chest X-ray
• CT scan
• Cardiac catheterization
• Echocardiogram
• Pulmonary function test

Our pediatric imaging team tailors these tests to children. They make the experience safe and comfortable.