Apnea of prematurity (AOP) is a condition where premature infants stop breathing for 15-20 seconds during sleep, most often in infants born at 35 weeks gestation or less. When they stop breathing, their heart rate drops below 80 beats per minute and they may appear limp or blue in color. AOP is treated through monitoring breathing and heart rate, medications to stimulate breathing, or in severe cases ventilation support. It typically resolves by 44 weeks postconceptional age.

1. Melissa Tobias
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2. *A condition in which premature infants stop
breathing for 15 to 20 seconds during sleep.
*Most often occurs in preemies that were born 35
weeks gestation or less.
*The lower the infant’s weight and level of
prematurity at birth, the more likely he or she
will have AOP.
*Most often is accompanied by bradycardia (slow
heart rate) which can be referred to as “As and
Bs”

3. *Although it is common that all babies may
pause their breathing at times, preemies with
apnea can stop breathing for up to 25 seconds
*When they stop breathing, heart rate drops
below 80 beats per minute
*Turn bluish and pale
*Appear limp and breathing may be noisy
*Not the same as periodic breathing (which lasts
for only a few seconds but does not cause a
bluish color to the baby)

4. *Bleeding or tissue damage in the brain
*Respiratory disease
*Infections
*Gastrointestinal problems
*Heart or blood vessel problems
*Immature neurologic system
*Unstable temperature
*Unknown…

5. *Physical Exam
*Blood tests that check blood counts,
electrolyte levels, and infection
*Measurement of the levels of oxygen in the
baby’s blood
*X-rays
*Apnea study, which monitors breathing effort,
heart rate, and oxygenation

6. *Ventilator- tube placed into baby’s trachea and
breaths of air are blown through the tube
*Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)-
nasal device that is a large tube with tiny
prongs that that fit into the baby’s nose which
provides oxygenated air
*Monitoring breathing- an alarm with sound if
there is no breath for a set number of seconds
*Medications- caffeine or theophylline is used to
stimulate the central nervous system

7. *Luckily Apnea of Prematurity has no long term
brain damage or is in any way related to SIDS
*May begin after 2 days of life and last up to 2-3
months after birth, but then will be fine
*AOP is been found to stop around 44 weeks of
postconceptional age, which is:
*Gestational age (how many weeks of pregnancy
at the time of birth) and:
*Postnatal age (weeks of age since birth)

8. *
… they turn out this cute 