title: Longitudinal assessment of hemoglobin oxygen saturation in preterm and term infants in the first six months of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report longitudinal home recordings of hemoglobin O(2) saturation by pulse oximetry (Spo(2)) during unperturbed sleep in preterm and term infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recorded continuous pulse oximetry during the first 3 minutes of each hour of monitor use (nonevent epochs) for 103 preterm infants born at <1750 g and ≤ 34 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA), and 99 healthy term infants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median baseline Spo(2) was approximately 98% for both the preterm and term groups. Episodes of intermittent hypoxemia occurred in 74% of preterm and 62% of term infants. Among infants with intermittent hypoxemia, the number of seconds/hour of monitoring <90% Spo(2) was initially significantly greater in the preterm than the term group and declined with age at a similar rate in both groups. The 75(th) to 95(th) percentiles for seconds/hour of Spo(2) <90% in preterm infants were highest at 36 weeks PMA and progressively decreased until 44 weeks PMA, after which time they did not differ from term infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinically inapparent intermittent hypoxemia occurs in epochs unperturbed by and temporally unrelated to apnea or bradycardia events, especially in preterm infants at 36 to 44 weeks PMA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Toledo Health Sciences Center, Toledo, OH, USA. chunt@usuhs.mil
authors.forename: Carl E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Corwin
authors.forename: Debra E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Weese-Mayer
authors.forename: Sally L Davidson
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Rangasamy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramanathan
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lister
authors.forename: Larry R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Tinsley
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heeren
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rybin
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D010092:Oximetry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D047929:Term Birth
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D010100:Oxygen