The newborn sleep apnea occurs when the normal breathing in your child is stopped during night.
It can be fatal to infants. There is high risk for the premature babies. The possible causes for sleep apnea are:
- Bleeding in the brain caused during delivery
- Breathe not controlled by the brain of immature baby
- Exposure to poison or drugs
- Defect in the birth of the babies
- Blocked airway
- Low blood sugar
The newborn sleep apnea is associated with hypoglycemia, gastro esophageal reflux disease and anemia. The other causes include the history of seizures and intracranial hemorrhage.
The apnea in newborns is classified as obstructive, central and mixed. When the “breathing orders” are not passed to the respiratory muscles by the central nervous system of your infant, then the central apnea occurs.
The obstructive apnea occurs due to the obstruction of anatomical airway. This is the reason why your child cannot breathe. This occurs due to the enlarged adenoids and tonsils in older children and toddlers.
But in newborns it is due to the obstruction of the airway musculature. Thus, it is a form of neurologic immaturity. The combination of obstructive and central apnea is mixed apnea.
The apnea is significant as it leads to hypoxemia (oxygen blood content is less), which causes the brain damage. It even causes the undue strain to your child’s lungs and heart. This leads to the arrest of respiration and even the death of your child.
Here are some things that are recommended for newborn sleep apnea:
- Be sure that your child’s pediatrician has taken all the tests that are required to treat apnea.
- Your pediatrician has to advice you in which position your child should be made to sleep during night.
- In some cases, medications can be used to treat the apnea. You can discuss about this with your pediatrician.
- Your husband and you must learn about the infant CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Time is more essential when your child’s breathing is arrested.
- You can also ask your pediatrician whether you can have tank of oxygen at home and whether you can be trained in mask and bag ventilation.
- Your child should be monitored for general anesthesia at least 12 hours postoperatively in the hospital because the newborn sleep apnea (neonatal apnea) can have the post-anesthesia apnea in devastating degrees even after the neonatal apnea has resolved its problems [Sleep problems in children].
- Maintain the apnea monitor condition to work efficiently. Whenever your child is asleep, this should be used always [Baby sleep schedule].
You have to maintain the neonatal apnea as a part of medical record. In sfuture, you have to tell about this condition to the doctor.
