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Babies, early or term, can be born with a form of Apnea or Bradycardia. Apnea and Bradycardia alike usually resolve on their own when your premature baby has reached its due date.
Apnea in premature babies is fairly common. Once it stops it does not return and in no way is a going to be a lifelong issue. While it is happening though, it can be very frightening.
Apnea is a pause in breathing and one or more of the following: The pause lasts more than 15-20 seconds, the baby’s color changes to pale, purple, or blue, or is associated with Bradycardia or slow heart rate.
Bradycardia is a heart rate that is slower than normal, about 80 beats per minute or less for a preemie. Bradycardia often accompanies apnea or times of slow shallow breathing. Sometimes it is reflex and it is especially common at time of feeding or when the baby is attempting to pass a stool.
Apnea does not only occur in premature babies. It can be caused by low blood sugar, seizures, infection, and disruption to the brain, body temperature, or low O2 levels.
Babies that are born too soon have very immature respiratory functions. When going into labor prematurely a doctor may recommend steroid shots in your buttocks to help progress the baby’s respiratory development beyond what it is at that point. This however does not always improve a baby’s respiratory function to a level that will not require monitoring or assistance; it is only a helpful tool
Apnea can be treated with medication, breathing machine or Mechanical ventilation, a bed that rocks or gives continual positive stimulation to remind a baby to breathe, and positive airway pressure through a canule tube in the baby’s nose.
Babies can go home with apnea or Bradycardia if they are candidates for apnea monitors. Here is a small checklist of things your baby will be required to be doing to go home on a monitoring system.
• The baby has apnea that is short and recovers without any stimulation
• The baby has no color change or Bradycardia with the apnea
• The apnea is not expected to go away in the next several days
• Your NICU has a home apnea program
• You have a phone and live near emergency help (if you would need it)
• You, and usually a second person, have completed home apnea training and a course in
cardiopulmonary resuscitation of a baby
Keep in mind this all goes away. Babies grow and these times will one day be well in the past. For more information on breathing issues talk to your NICU Doctor. The more information you have the sooner your new little addition will get to come home.
Other articles in this series:
Surviving NICU part 1: An introduction
Surviving NICU part 2: Feeding your baby
Surviving NICU part 3: Stages of beds in NICU
Surviving NICU part 4: What is Bradycardia or Apnea?
Surviving NICU part 5: My baby needs O2
Surviving NICU part 6: Monitors
Surviving NICU part 7: Aiva's stay in NICU
Surviving NICU part 8: Caroline and Sophie
Surviving NICU part 9: Jaundice
Surviving NICU part 10: Helping older siblings
Surviving NICU part 11: Blood work and IV therapy
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NICU support for Evansville area parent
St. Mary's Home Health Services
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