In plain words
Apnea is a pause in breathing. In newborns, a pause of 20 seconds or longer is called apnea, especially when it comes with a or a color change. Shorter pauses can be normal, especially in sleep, when babies breathe irregularly. Preterm babies have more apnea than full-term babies, and it is one reason they stay in the hospital until they are stable. If your baby stops breathing, looks blue or gray, or does not respond, call 911 right away. Pauses a parent notices are worth mentioning to the pediatrician, and sooner if they happen often.
The deeper version
Apnea of prematurity is defined by a pause in breathing of 20 seconds or more, or a shorter pause with bradycardia or desaturation. Preterm infants show higher rates of apnea, bradycardia, and desaturation in car seats, and testing is used before discharge in some centers (American Academy of Pediatrics clinical report on safe transportation of preterm and low birth weight infants). Central, obstructive, and mixed apnea are distinguished by . In term infants, is common and benign, and it is distinct from pathological apnea. AAP guidance on apnea, , and home monitoring (2003) found no evidence that home monitors lower the risk of sudden infant death. The controversy concerns the line between normal periodic breathing and clinically significant apnea.
Where it comes up
- BabywearingBaby Basics
- Car seat safety day to dayBaby Basics
- Newborn breathing, congestion, and the noseBaby Basics
- When to call the pediatrician (and when to go in)Baby Basics
What mothers here say about apnea
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Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Car safety seats: clinical report on use with preterm and low-birth-weight infants (2019)
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Apnea, sudden infant death syndrome, and home monitoring (2003)