Related Experiment Videos
Expiratory muscle activity in preterm babies
M South1, C J Morley, G Hughes
1Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital.
Insights
The right external abdominal oblique muscle shows no respiratory activity in healthy newborns. However, in infants with respiratory issues, this muscle actively contracts during exhalation, even when intubated and ventilated.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Respiratory medicine
- Muscle activity analysis
Background:
- The external abdominal oblique muscle plays a role in respiration.
- Understanding its function in premature infants is crucial for respiratory support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the respiratory activity of the right external abdominal oblique muscle in preterm newborns.
- To correlate muscle activity with respiratory status and interventions.
Main Methods:
- Surface electrodes were used to measure muscle activity.
- Study included newborns aged 25 to 34 weeks' gestation.
- Activity was assessed in healthy infants and those with respiratory disease, including during endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation.
Main Results:
- No significant respiratory activity was observed in the muscle of healthy newborns.
- Infants with respiratory disease exhibited pronounced muscle activity during expiration.
- This activity persisted after intubation and could interfere with mechanical ventilation, contracting during 98% of breaths against positive pressure.
Conclusions:
- The right external abdominal oblique muscle is not active during normal respiration in preterm infants.
- Its pronounced expiratory activity in infants with respiratory disease suggests a compensatory mechanism.
- This muscle activity can disrupt mechanical ventilation, highlighting the need for careful monitoring during respiratory support.
Abstract:
The activity of the right external abdominal oblique muscle, in relation to respiration, in newborn babies from 25 to 34 weeks' gestation was studied, using surface electrodes. Babies without respiratory difficulties showed no activity associated with respiration in these muscles. Grunting babies with respiratory disease showed pronounced activity during expiration. This activity continued when the babies were endotracheally intubated; if the babies were ventilated it sometimes disturbed the tidal ventilation delivered by the machines. When the baby expired during a ventilator inflation, so that gas came up the endotracheal tube against the inflating pressure, the abdominal oblique muscles contracted in 98% of the breaths.