Recurrent Apnea in Newborn Infants

Abstract

Apnea (Greek; a-pnoia) which means no breath, is a common problem in neonatal intensive care. Usually apnea is defined as the cessation of breathing during a certain period of time. In newborn infants the duration of apnea however varies with the patterns of breathing that range from regular breathing without apnea to extremely irregular breathing with prolonged apneic episodes. Several patterns of breathing are found in newborn infants. Regular breathing with almost equal breath-to-breath intervals and amplitudes (depth of breath) is common in mature newborn infants especially during non-REM (quiet) sleep. Irregular breathing with marked variability in breath-to-breath intervals and amplitudes, in mature newborn infants usually observed during REM (active) sleep, is common in preterm infants. Periodic breathing, defined by cessation of breathing for 3 to 10 seconds occurring at regular intervals alternating with bursts of breahing activity is seen in both mature and preterm newborn infants at sleep (1). The pattern of breathing of preterm infants is mostly irregular and periodic. With increasing gestational age the pattern of breathing becomes more regular and less periodic.