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Respiratory development in preterm infants
Diane Holditch-Davis1, Mark Scher, Todd Schwartz
1School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7460, USA.
Insights
Infant respiration develops significantly in the weeks after birth, influenced by neural maturation and external factors like medications. Sleep state also impacts respiratory patterns in preterm infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Respiratory development
- Infant sleep studies
Background:
- Preterm infants exhibit unique respiratory patterns.
- Understanding respiratory development is crucial for neonatal care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine respiratory development in preterm and early post-term infants.
- To assess the influence of sleep state and other factors on infant respiration.
Main Methods:
- Weekly sleep observations and respiration recordings in 134 preterm infants.
- Data collected from hospital discharge to 1-3 months post-discharge.
Main Results:
- Most respiratory variables decreased post-term, with a slowing rate for some.
- Sleep state significantly affected respiratory variables.
- Medications, like cisapride, influenced respiratory differences.
Conclusions:
- Infant respiration undergoes substantial development post-birth.
- Neural maturation and environmental factors, particularly medications, shape respiratory function.
- Sleep state is a key modulator of infant respiratory patterns.
Objective:
This study examined the development of respiration during the preterm and early post-term periods and the effects of other biological and environmental variables, including sleep state, on this development.
Study Design:
Weekly 2-hour sleep observations and respiration recordings were obtained on 134 preterm infants from the time they were no longer critical until hospital discharge; a follow-up observation was conducted 1 to 3 months later.
Results:
All respiratory variables, except length of respiratory pauses in quiet sleep, decreased although the rate of this decrease slowed after term for four variables. Respiratory variables, except variability of respiratory pauses lengths and periodic respiration, differed by sleep state. Covariates, except methylxanthine treatment, had minor effects. Four variables showed hospital-related differences, but cisapride treatment helped to explain the differences in three variables.
Conclusions:
Much development of respiration occurs in the early weeks after birth and reflects both neural maturation and effects of other biological and environmental factors, especially medications.
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