Viagra saves baby's life

London - English doctors used the anti-impotence drug Viagra to save the life of a severely premature baby, media reports said on Friday.

Medics in the northeast city of Newcastle upon Tyne gave the drug to --- who was born at 24 weeks, weighing just 780g - as
one of his lungs failed and not enough oxygen was getting into his
bloodstream.

The drug opened up tiny blood vessels in his lungs, allowing oxygen to
be captured and flow around the body.

Alan Fenton, consultant neonatologist at the city's Royal Victoria
Infirmary, said although oxygen can be pumped into the lungs of
premature babies with breathing difficulties, there was not enough
blood supply to carry it elsewhere.