Many were surprised to hear about the baby girl who was born with a heart defect was kept alive on daily doses of Viagra, however, the active ingredient, sildenafil, is often used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) under the brand name Revatio and has been used for this condition for many years. Sildenafil has even been proven to prevent and treat altitude sickness.
The baby girl, now 18 months old, and who is now well enough to have spoken her first words, will be slowly weaned off the sildenafil which for now helps to keep the blood flowing around her body. While Viagra is not generally prescribed for women or children, Revatio is licensed for these patient groups. It is not recommended that anyone take Sildenafil unless it is prescribed by a doctor.