periodic breathing in an infant
Last reviewed 01/2018
- periodic breathing occurs when the breath pauses for up to 10 seconds
at a time
- may be several such pauses close together, followed by a series of
rapid, shallow breaths
- then the breathing returns to normal
- a common condition in premature babies in the first few weeks of life. Even healthy full-term babies sometimes have spells of periodic breathing. It usually occurs when the infant is sleeping deeply, but may occur with light sleep or even when awake
- a review noted that this condition is very common in preterm babies,
especially during sleep, and associated with a decreased response from
the respiratory centre (2)
- managed by slightly raising the O2 levels whilst avoiding oxygen
toxicity, using saturation monitoring
- managed by slightly raising the O2 levels whilst avoiding oxygen
toxicity, using saturation monitoring
- may be several such pauses close together, followed by a series of
rapid, shallow breaths
- periodic breathing is not the same as 'apnoea'
- apnoea occurs when breathing stops for at least 20 seconds
- infant may become limp. There may be a change in skin color (such as blue or pale color around the mouth) and a drop in heart rate before the baby starts breathing normally again
- sometimes the baby must be stimulated to restart breathing
- apnoea occurs when breathing stops for at least 20 seconds
- a baby with periodic breathing will always restart normal breathing on its
own
- no stimulation is required
- although this can be alarming to the parents, it is a harmless condition and it will go away as the baby gets older
Reference:
- University of Minnesota Medical Center. Periodic Breathing (Infant) (Accessed 20/8/2014)
- Tin W; Oxygen therapy: 50 years of uncertainty. Pediatrics. 2002 Sep;110(3):615-6.