PATHOLOGICAL APNEA AND BRIEF RESPIRATORY PAUSES IN PRETERM INFANTS - RELATION TO SLEEP STATE

The development of pathologic apnea, respiratory pauses, and periodic respiration was examined in 71 high-risk preterm infants, observed wee kly. Respiration was recorded every 10 seconds; apnea length and perio dic respiration were scored from a tape. All subjects had respiratory pauses, and 36 had pathologic apnea. The mean length of respiratory pa uses was longer in quite sleep, and the frequency of respiratory pause s was greater in active sleep. The mean length of respiratory pauses a nd probability of pathologic apnea in both sleep states and frequency of pauses in quiet sleep decreased with age. Sex, theophylline treatme nt, race, and length of mechanical ventilation affected the developmen tal trajectories of some apnea variables. Apnea in preterm infants can not be considered a unitary phenomenon.