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Transplacentally acquired caffeine and the occurrence of apnea, bradycardia, and periodic breathing in preterm infants: Preliminary communication
Author(s) -
McCulloch Kristine M.,
Braun Richard J.,
Simms Patricia E.,
Evans Michael A.,
Kelly Dorothy H.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
pediatric pulmonology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.866
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1099-0496
pISSN - 8755-6863
DOI - 10.1002/ppul.1950070203
Subject(s) - medicine , bradycardia , apnea , periodic breathing , caffeine , anesthesia , gestational age , apnea of prematurity , heart rate , ventilation (architecture) , birth weight , blood pressure , pregnancy , mechanical engineering , biology , engineering , genetics
Cord blood caffeine concentrations were measured by high‐pressure liquid chromatography in 79 preterm infants. Eleven infants (14%) had detectable Caffeine concentrations ranging from 1.1 to 3.7 μg/mL X SD = 2.5 ± (0.8), and 68 infants had no measurable caffeine. Seven infants with detectable caffeine (group 1) had impedance pneumograms recorded before 2 weeks of age. Each infant in group 1 was matched with two infants without detectable caffeine by birthweight, gestational age, and chronologic age at pneumogram recording to yield a control group (group 2) of 14 infants. Comparison of the groups using quantitative measures of apnea, bradycardia, and periodic breathing obtained from pneumogram analysis and the incidence of monitor alarms on bedside nursing records showed no significant differences. Thus, caffeine was present infrequently and at low concentrations at birth in 79 preterm infants. The amount of apnea, bradycardia, and periodic breathing experienced before 2 weeks of age in 7 preterm infants with detectable cord blood caffeine was not different from that in 14 similar infants without caffeine. Future studies are planned to examine the relationship between postnatal changes in transplacentally acquired methylxanthine concentrations and quantitative measures of apnea, bradycardia, and periodic breathing in a larger number of preterm infants without cardiorespiratory disease. Pediatr Pilmonol. 1989; 7:66–70 .