Waiting to Exhale
Premature Babies and Apnea
By Amy E. Tracy
– A pattern of breathing (breathes for five seconds, stops for five seconds, then resumes); normal for babies, especially during sleep, as long as there is no change in color or muscle tone.
Shallow breathing – Light breathing that the monitor may detect as apnea; as a preemie grows, breathing becomes deeper and more regular.
| Here are some suggestions from Your Premature Baby and Child: Helpful Answers and Advice for Parents (Berkley, 1999) for making life with a monitor easier for you and your baby: - Before homecoming take an infant CPR class and stay overnight in the hospital to become more comfortable with the monitor. Make sure your baby's caregivers take infant CPR classes, too.
- Keep CPR instructions and emergency phone numbers near the monitor and ensure that your house or apartment number is visible to emergency personnel.
- For priority reconnection following a power failure, notify utility companies that your baby needs a monitor.
- Place the monitor away from sources of interference (baby monitors, cordless phones and televisions) and plug into a grounded outlet.
- Keep a lamp or a flashlight near your baby's bedside for nighttime alarms.
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