Doctors are saving the lives of desperately ill newborn babies by giving them the controversial drug Viagra

Consultants at Yorkhill Children's Hospital in Glasgow are using Viagra as a life-saving treatment for children suffering from pulmonary hypertension, a cause of so-called "blue baby" syndrome which affects the blood flow to the lungs.

Doctors claim Viagra, manufactured by Pfizer, manufacturers of Viagra which is normally used to treat sexual dysfunction in adult men, has produced astonishing results in the youngsters by relieving their potentially fatal condition.

And they now hope that Viagra, also known as sildenafil, can be used to treat the hundreds of newborn babies in Scotland who suffer the illness every year.

But the use of Viagra in babies has sparked concern from some in the medical community, who say it is still an experimental treatment.

Last night, officials at NHS Greater Glasgow confirmed that "a small number" of infants suffering from pulmonary hypertension had been given Viagra at Yorkhill Hospital while being closely monitored by medical staff.

A spokeswoman said: "Viagra has been given to a small, selected group of infants under very controlled conditions. They have been subjected to careful supervision."

An insider added: "It is a difficult decision to give such young children a drug like Viagra when it is normally used to treat erectile problems in adults.

"But there have been trials elsewhere that have shown Viagra can be very effective in treating this condition and so doctors chose to use it."

Pulmonary hypertension in young children is normally treated using nitric oxide gas which dilates the blood vessels leading to the lungs. But doctors have found Viagra which increases blood flow, is highly effective at treating the lung disease in children.

Recent trials using Viagra in the United States have shown that children may even be able to stop taking the pills after a couple of years, as the drug helps to relax the blood vessels permanently.

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