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Crying and breathing by extremely preterm infants immediately after birth
Colm P F O'Donnell1, C Omar F Kamlin, Peter G Davis
1Neonatal Research, The Royal Women's Hospital, Victoria, Australia. codonnell@nmh.ie
The Journal of Pediatrics
|March 19, 2010
Summary
Most extremely preterm infants cry and breathe spontaneously at birth without medical intervention. This suggests that apnea at birth is uncommon in this vulnerable population.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Physiology
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Extremely preterm infants represent a vulnerable population requiring specialized care.
- Apnea of prematurity is a common concern in neonates, but its occurrence at the moment of birth is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the immediate cardiorespiratory responses of extremely preterm infants at birth.
- To determine the incidence of spontaneous crying and breathing in this population without intervention.
Main Methods:
- Video recordings of 61 extremely preterm infants were analyzed immediately following delivery.
- Observed behaviors included spontaneous crying and breathing efforts.
Main Results:
- The majority of infants (69%) exhibited crying shortly after birth.
- A significant proportion (80%) demonstrated spontaneous breathing without requiring assistance.
- These findings indicate that apnea at birth is not the typical presentation for most extremely preterm neonates.
Conclusions:
- Extremely preterm infants frequently exhibit spontaneous respiratory efforts and crying immediately after birth.
- The data challenges the assumption of universal respiratory distress or apnea in this group at the initial moments of life.
- Further research can explore the factors influencing these immediate responses.
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