Apparent life-threatening prolonged infant apnea in Saskatchewan.
Life-threatening events such as prolonged apnea and severe bradycardia are uncommon in infants. When such events occur in a family, however, the results may be disastrous. Over a period of 3 years ending June 1986, we have looked after 111 such infants aged 4 weeks to 40 weeks with a mean age of 14 weeks (male-female ratio 1.26:1). Of these infants, 33 had an identifiable cause and were treated according to the diagnoses. A structural approach to this problem yielded good results. Only 10 infants were treated with a home monitor (4 prescribed by physician and 6 by parental request). Sleep and pneumogram (polysomnogram) studies showed fewer apneic episodes with advancing age (P less than .01). Giving theophylline seemed to abolish pneumogram abnormalities. No infants died.
Sunkaran
K
K
McKenna
A
A
O'Donnell
M
M
Ninan
A
A
Kasian
G
G
Skwarchuk
J
J
Bingham
W T
WT
D001049:Apnea / Q000628:therapy*; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012525:Saskatchewan; D013997:Time Factors