Pulmonary Hypoplasia From Prolonged Prelabor Rupture of Membranes: A Case Report

Pulmonary hypoplasia (PH) is a rare congenital anomaly involving reduced or incomplete development of lung tissues and vasculature. Approximately 33% of pregnancies complicated by oligohydramnios are associated with PH, and upwards of 9-11/10,000 liveborn infants are diagnosed with PH each year. The estimated perinatal mortality risk is 70%. The management of affected neonates is challenging in that clinicians need to balance the need to provide adequate respiratory support in order to achieve proper ventilation-perfusion matching yet do so in the gentlest manner possible to avoid ventilator-induced lung injury and associated comorbidities. This article presents a case report of a preterm infant born with significant PH attributed to premature prelabor rupture of membranes and severe oligohydramnios, as well as a discussion of relevant physiologic, pathologic, diagnostic, and treatment data. We also emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in optimizing prenatal counseling, parental involvement, team readiness, and coordination of care.