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Bradycardic response during submersion in infant swimming
E Goksör1, L Rosengren, G Wennergren
1Department of Paediatrics, Göteborg University, Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Sweden.
Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|May 23, 2002
Summary
The infant diving response, characterized by bradycardia, persists beyond 6 months of age. This study confirms its presence and gradual decline with maturation in healthy infants.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Infant Development
- Cardiovascular Reflexes
Background:
- The diving response, involving bradycardia, apnea, and vasoconstriction, is documented in human infants.
- This reflex typically diminishes with age, often reported to disappear by six months.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze physiological events during natural infant diving.
- To describe how the diving response changes with infant maturation.
Main Methods:
- Studied 36 full-term healthy infants during supervised infant swimming diving exercises.
- Monitored heart rate changes during submersion and post-dive recovery.
Main Results:
- All infants exhibited an immediate heart rate decrease upon submersion, averaging a 25% reduction.
- Bradycardia was sustained during dives and often followed by tachycardia.
- A decline in reflex bradycardia with increasing age was observed (p=0.03), but the response remained evident beyond six months.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms the presence of a diving response in infants, mediated by vagal activity.
- While the bradycardic response wanes with age, it remains significant in infants older than previously reported.