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Breathing patterns, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in sleeping healthy infants during the first nine months after birth
Author(s) -
Horemuzova E,
KatzSalamon M,
Milerad J
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2000.tb00752.x
Subject(s) - medicine , periodic breathing , anesthesia , heart rate , respiratory rate , carbon dioxide , birth weight , oxygen saturation , pediatrics , apnea , oxygen , blood pressure , pregnancy , ecology , genetics , biology , chemistry , organic chemistry
Data on arterial oxygen saturation (SaO 2 ), transcutaneous pO 2 , pCO 2 (tcpO 2 , tcpCO 2 ) and breathing patterns in sleeping healthy term infants were obtained during the first 9 mo after birth. Forty‐four healthy infants, mean GA at birth 40 ± 1.0 wk, mean BW 3520 ± 562 g were examined between 2 wk and 9 mo postnatally in a cross‐sectional study. SaO 2 , tcpO 2 , tcpCO 2 , heart rate (HR), rib cage and abdominal respiratory movements were recorded during natural nocturnal sleep, stratified for sleep states (active sleep (AS), indeterminate sleep (IS), quiet sleep (QS)). The data on AS and IS were pooled as in previous studies. The variables were analysed with respect to age. SaO 2 in AS + IS and QS was 96.1 ± 1.3%, 96.6 ± 1.4%, respectively. TcpO 2 in AS + IS was 10.6 ± 1.1 kPa and 10.7 ± 1.3 kPa in QS, while tcpCO 2 in AS + IS was 5.4±0.3kPa and 5.4 ± 0.4kPa in QS. Neither SaO 2 nor tcpO 2 was influenced by age. TcpCO 2 decreased significantly postnatally. Five infants (11.3%) experienced episodes of hypoxaemia with a mean decrease in SaO 2 to 86 ± 1.5%. In four infants these hypoxaemic episodes were linked to upper airway obstructions. Episodes of SaO 2 < 90% in conjunction with a decrease in HR to <100bpm were detected in one infant only. Periodic breathing (PB) was observed in 38.6% of infants. Conclusion: Oxygenation and carbon dioxide levels in sleeping healthy term infants were comparable to those reported in older children. Hypoxaemic episodes, if present, are associated with upper airway obstruction. PB, often assumed to be a pathological feature, is a normal breathing pattern in this age group.