OXYGEN-SATURATION IN PREMATURE NEONATES WITH BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA IN A HAMMOCK

Premature neonates with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) frequently pr esent borderline hypoxemia and the risk for oxygen desaturation may in crease in relation to the posture. Our aim was to see if infants with BPD experience severe hyperemia (SaO(2) < 85%) in a hammock, a 'contai ning' posture considered advantageous to neuromotor and relational dev elopment of the preterm. Fifteen pulse oximetry recordings (Ohmeda B10 5 3760 Pulse Oximeter) were obtained in 15 subjects (range of gestatio nal age and postnatal age 27-30 and 33-48 weeks, respectively; range o f birth weight and body weight at entrance to the study 0.64-1.35 and 0.97-2.24 kg, respectively) before, during and after placement in a ha mmock; each testing period lasted 15 min, and each baby served as his or her own control. BPD preterm infants were receiving oxygen therapy by continuous flow standard nasal cannulas (FiO(2) > 25%, < 40%). The analysis of the data, that have a rough gaussian distribution, indicat es a worsening of SaO(2) in the hammock position. In fact, mean +/- SE M, median and range of the SaO(2) values in pre- and posthammock posit ion are comparable, but are significantly different at 99.9% confidenc e level (CL) in prehammock vs. hammock posture and at 98% CL in postha mmock vs. hammock posture. Moreover, the percent of time with SaO(2) < 85% during the periods recorded increased about 10 +/- 5% in a hammoc k (24 +/- 4%), in com parison to pre-(14 +/- 3%) and posthammock posit ion (15 +/- 3%). These results suggest that oxygen-dependent BPD prete rm infants in the hammock posture may experience severe hypoxemia that in part limits the possible advantages of the 'containment'.