Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn
11:27

A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn

Published on: April 7, 2023

7.7K

Apparent Life-Threatening Events: Helping Infants Help Themselves

Alessandro Vigo, Roberto Balagna1, Luca Brazzi

  • 1Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Città della Salute e della Scienza.

Pediatric Emergency Care
|July 15, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Apparent life-threatening events (ALTE) in infants are alarming but typically self-limiting. Simple tactile stimulation (TS) often resolves these episodes, with emergency services prioritizing TS before considering cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Neonatology

Background:

  • Apparent life-threatening events (ALTE) are sudden, alarming episodes in infants.
  • Understanding parental response and emergency service (ES) intervention is crucial for infant outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Evaluate home-based ES intervention for ALTE.
  • Assess parental behavior preceding ES intervention.
  • Determine infant outcomes at 6-month follow-up.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study of infants under 12 months with ALTE (2005-2014).
  • Defined tactile stimulation (TS) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) per AHA guidelines.
  • Analyzed ES response times and patient condition upon examination and at follow-up.

Main Results:

  • 188 infants eligible; 178 received ES intervention.
  • All infants received parental TS before ES arrival.
  • No infant experienced subsequent cardiopulmonary arrest or adverse neurological outcomes; 6 were diagnosed with epilepsy.
  • Capillary blood gas alterations found in 26% of tested infants.

Conclusions:

  • ALTE is generally self-limiting, often resolving with spontaneous recovery or TS.
  • ES should utilize TS to elicit physiological responses before considering CPR for ALTE.
  • Infant outcomes following ALTE are typically favorable.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

88.3K
A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect05:04

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect

Published on: September 22, 2023

1.1K

Related Concept Videos

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development

The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
2.3K
Bystander Effect02:09

Bystander Effect

The discussion of bullying highlights the problem of witnesses not intervening to help a victim. This is a common occurrence, as the following well-publicized event demonstrates. In 1964, in Queens, New York, a 19-year-old woman named Kitty Genovese was attacked by a person with a knife near the back entrance to her apartment building and again in the hallway inside her apartment building. When the attack occurred, she screamed for help numerous times and eventually died from her stab wounds.
10.4K
Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
677
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation II: ACLS Airway Management01:22

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation II: ACLS Airway Management

Airway management is a key skill in emergency and critical care settings, as maintaining a clear airway is essential for adequate oxygenation and ventilation.Head Tilt-Chin Lift TechniqueThe head tilt-chin lift maneuver is an essential technique primarily used in patients without suspected cervical spine injuries. To perform this maneuver, one hand is placed on the patient’s forehead, and gentle pressure is applied backward to tilt the head. The fingertips of the other hand are positioned...
927
Parental Care00:55

Parental Care

Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.
12.9K
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation I: Adult01:21

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation I: Adult

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is a life-saving emergency procedure performed when a person's heart has stopped beating or they are no longer breathing. The foundation of CPR is Basic Life Support (BLS), which focuses on the early recognition of cardiac arrest, the immediate start of high-quality chest compressions, and the timely use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).Assessing Responsiveness and Checking the Carotid PulseWhen approaching an unresponsive person, first ensure...
965