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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
Asystole and severe bradycardia in preterm infants
Parvin C Dorostkar1, Marina K Arko, Terry M Baird
1Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA. pcd2@cwru.edu
Unlabelled:
Transient episodes of apnea and bradycardia are common in preterm infants. Pronounced asystole or sinus arrest, however, is relatively rare and the clinical significance of such events is unknown.
Objective:
The purpose of our study was to: (1) evaluate the prevalence of severe bradycardic and asystolic events in infants studied with polygraphic cardiorespiratory monitoring, (2) characterize these events, and (3) correlate the events with other clinical findings.
Methods:
A total of 583 studies were performed in 454 preterm infants at a post-conceptional age 37.4 +/- 2.5 (range 34-42 weeks). Asystolic pauses were defined as no QRS complex for >or=3 s consistent with a heart rate <20 beats per minute (bpm). Severe bradycardia was defined as no QRS for >or=2 s consistent with a heart rate of 21-30 bpm.
Results:
Eight infants (29.5 +/- 3.9 weeks' gestational age, birth weight 1,283 +/- 445 g) met the criteria of having had at least 1 asystolic event (heart rate
Conclusions:
Asystolic pauses occur in 1.8% of a selected population of preterm infants who have been experiencing cardiorespiratory events, are related to respiratory pauses, and appear to have a benign long-term outcome, although future study should incorporate long-term neurodevelopmental outcome.
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