Forward Team

The Forward Team is a team of providers in the Children’s Wisconsin NICU who will care for your baby with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD). BPD is a disease that affects the lungs of babies born too early.

The Forward Team includes:

• Physical and Occupational Therapy – works with your baby to help them meet their milestones.
• Speech Therapy – works with your baby on their feeding.
• Pharmacy Team – helps with your baby’s medicines.
• Nutrition Team – make sure your baby is gaining weight and growing.
• Neonatologists – will work with you to create the best plan for your baby.
• Pulmonary Team – works on your baby’s breathing.
• Nurse Practitioners – helps with the day-to-day care for your baby.
• Case Managers – works to make sure you have all you need for home.
• Care Coordinator – brings the team together to make sure everyone is on the same page about your baby’s care

What is BPD?

BPD (Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia) is a disease that affects the lungs of babies born prematurely. The lungs don’t have time to develop normally, and this can lead to long term breathing problems that need extra support to help babies breathe. If a baby still needs extra oxygen or breathing support once they reach a corrected age of 36 weeks, they are diagnosed with BPD.

What causes BPD?

Babies who are born before 32 weeks have not had the chance fully develop their lungs. At birth, most need help to breathe with a mechanical ventilator or positive pressure ventilation. While needed for the baby to survive, over time this can cause inflammation which will lead to some injury to the lungs.

What are the symptoms of BPD?

• Pulling of the chest (also called retractions)
• Flaring of the nostrils
• Fast breathing
• Requiring additional breathing support

How is BPD treated?

Treatment for BPD helps babies breathing and development. Lung development is a slow process and continues well into childhood. Some supportive measures your care team might use include:

• Diuretics (medications that help take away extra water on the lungs)
• Inhalers (medications that your baby will breathe in that can help calm the lungs)
• Ventilator (a machine that helps support your baby’s breathing)
• Additional oxygen
• Closely monitoring weight gain and length growth
• Working with therapy teams to reach developmental milestones

The BPD Collaborative

Children’s Wisconsin is part of a larger group of hospitals across the state of Wisconsin that work together to care for babies with BPD. The goal of the group is to improve care for babies.

To connect with other caregivers or parents, join their support group.

They host a Parent Social Hour on the last Thursday of every month from 12:00-1:00 p.m. (CST). More info here.