The sensors measure the baby's chest movement and breathing rate and the monitor continuously records these rates. Before your baby leaves the hospital, the NICU staff will review the monitor with you and give you detailed instructions on how and when to use it, and how to respond to an alarm.
Parents and caregivers also will be trained in infant CPR , even though it's unlikely they'll ever have to use it.
If your baby isn't breathing or his or her face seems pale or bluish, follow the instructions from the NICU staff. Usually, your response will involve some gentle stimulation, like stroking your baby's back, arms, or legs. If it doesn't work, start CPR and call Remember, never shake your baby to wake him or her.
Your doctor will let you know how long your baby wears the monitor, so be sure to ask if you have any questions or concerns. Apnea of prematurity usually ends on its own with time. Healthy infants who have had AOP usually do not go on to have more health or developmental problems than other babies. AOP does not cause brain damage, and a healthy baby who is apnea free for a week will probably never have AOP again.
Aside from AOP, other complications with your premature baby may limit the time and interaction that you can have with your little one. But you can still bond with your baby in the NICU. Talk to the NICU staff about what would be best for your baby, whether it's holding, feeding, caressing, or just speaking softly. The NICU staff is not only trained to care for premature babies, but also to reassure and support their parents.
If your baby comes home with a monitor, it can be a stressful time. Some parents find themselves constantly watching the monitor, afraid to take a break even to shower. This usually gets easier with time. If you're feeling this way, the NICU staff can reassure you and perhaps put you in touch with other parents of preemies who went through the same thing.
Reviewed by: Melanie L. Pitone, MD. Infants with neonatal morbidity except apnea were excluded. The relationship with apnea, transcutaneous oxygen levels, and sleep state was determined.
Results: Transient episodes of bradycardia to 60 to 70 beats per minute were common, but there were no drops below 50 beats per minute. The incidence of transient episodes of bradycardia was inversely related to heart rate.
Results for apneic and nonapneic premature infants were similar. Bradycardia bray-dee-car'-dee-ah is the medical term for a heart rate that is too slow. How slow is too slow varies. Babies usually have heart rates faster than adults do; so a heart rate of 80 may be fine for an adult but may be low for a newborn. Also premature babies tend to have faster heart rates than full term babies do and the heart rate tends to decrease with age after birth.
What causes apnea? Apnea is most common in premature babies because their nervous system has not finished developing. The brain has a special area, called the respiratory center, which tells the lungs to take a breath on a regular basis. If this area is not mature, the baby may forget to breathe. They may also have apnea if overheated or cold or just over-stimulated.
Apnea can also be due to other causes, especially in term babies, so the doctors and nurses may check the baby to rule out other causes before saying the baby has Apnea of Prematurity. What causes bradycardia? Most infants have bradycardia for the same reasons they have apnea. And often bradycardia results from the baby having apnea. But other medical problems can sometimes be the cause; therefore, babies who have these episodes need to be evaluated.
What other things can cause apnea and bradycardia? Most apnea and bradycardia episodes are due to prematurity but many other medical conditions can cause these problems; so infants with episodes are usually checked for these problems. This is especially true if the baby is a term infant. Infection - infection is a fairly common cause and is often looked for if a baby develops apnea. Low blood sugar. Low blood oxygen.
Airway problems - any kind of block in the airway or nose, including mucous, can cause problems especially in a premature. Neurological problems How do I know if my baby has apnea or bradycardia? Babies that are known to be at risk for these episodes are placed on monitors that are set to alarm if the breathing or heart rate go below certain limits.
What happens if the alarm goes off?
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