Abstract
We examined the ventilatory response to CO2 in 123 infants tested with a computerized CO2 waveform analyzer measuring breath by breath responses. Seven SIDS siblings (BW 3.43+/−1.04 kg) were tested at 49.1+/−15.3 weeks post-conceptual age, 19 near-miss infants (2.84+/−0.88 kg) at 60.1+/−14.9 wks, 21 term infants with cyanosis (3.43+/−0.66 kg) at 41.0+/−1.2 wks, 43 preterm infants with apnea (1.56+/−0.31 kg) at 41.9+/−5.0 wks, 18 infants with IVH (1.16+/−0.3 kg) at 46.5+/−12.9 wks, 8 with BPD (1.4+/−0.9 kg) at 48.8+/−12.6 wks, 5 with reflux (2.43+/−0.6 kg) at 43.0+/−7.0 wks, and 5 controls (3.8+/−0.8 kg) at 39.0+/−1.0 wks.
The slope of the CO2 response curve was 19.4+/−7.6 among siblings, 25.5+/−17.4 among near-miss, 30.2+/−16.4 among cyanotic, 33.0+/−19.0 in the apneic, 31.5+/−16.8 in the IVH, 28.3+/−19.2 in the BPD, 19.9+/−11.7 in the reflux, and 26.0+/−17.0 mm/kg/min/ mmHg BTPS in the control group. The highest proportion of abnormal slopes (<20 mm/kg/min/mmHg BTPS) were in the reflux (71%), near miss (44%), and sibling (40%) groups. The sibling and reflux groups also showed the lowest increase in minute ventilation (50–55%) compared to the other groups (90–140%) from baseline to 6% CO2. The sibling, near-miss, and reflux groups demonstrated blunted responses to CO2 and are deemed to be at highest risk by this test.
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Mondestin, H., Mojica, N., Anwar, M. et al. 1800 THE VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO CARBON DIOXIDE IN HIGH RISK INFANTS. Pediatr Res 19, 410 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01818
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01818